Trouble In Paradise
by LightandSound
Summary: 8 years of normalcy, 8 years of reclaiming a semblance of stability despite having an unstable caretaker, but sometimes there's no escape from the specters of an unstable past. Now 21 and desiring to pursue business, Claude Sheffield tries to enhance that normalcy by taking a vacation to Kalos, a region slowly deteriorating to war over Pokemon and their liberties.
1. Live the Life

Generosity is such a curious concept, is it not?

"_Flight AK914 to Kalos will be departing shortly. Passengers, please head to gate 6."_ A drone-like voice, resembling that of a woman, rang through the airport's intercom.

I took hold of the one duffel bag I had with me, standing up with the one person who I went with for the trip to Kalos. That one person was the one responsible for all of this, for me going on a plane to the reputed region of beauty. It is from his charity that this trip, along with many other things in my life, was made possible.

The airport was crowded, filled to the brim with people that were going on their own summer trips. Due to the cold weather, it didn't seem that way. Contrary to what I assumed when people travel in the summer, no one bared their skin. Everybody looked a bit anxious, a bit too professional, and business-like. Had vacation turned into an extension of work?

This _was_ Celadon City Airport, of course... Like Saffron, Celadon City was the other business capital of Kanto. Its reputation as the rainbow city didn't diminish the drab nature of the people here, though. It was the one city in Kanto more depressing than Saffron, which was mildly amusing and surprising to learn. Not even the game center or the Celadon department store made people happy.

The actual airport itself wasn't as colorful as the Celadon sign or its skyscrapers. Aside from a large mirror that I sat against, which displayed an overcast Kanto, it wasn't a remarkable place to be in. A lot of white, metal designed to support the building instead of aesthetic qualities. The only color I see was the various corporations that set up shop here. Fast food joints, stores sanctioned by the Pokemon League, and areas designated for pokemon. Areas which were rare and looked depressingly empty...

Many people around me looked tired, exhausted from wherever they came from. The departure area, where they corral people with boarding passes to planes that leave Kanto, looked more alive than the people that actually were vacationing _here_.

The one exception was, of course, the middle-aged man travelling with me. His name was Terrell Francis Scott, a man who on the outside seemed youthful. So alarmingly youthful that one could confuse him as the younger person from the both of us. That youth was lost on his physical appearance. When he is tired or simply lacking energy, it showed easily on his face and demeanor.

"Come on, Claude. Don't look so dead!" He half-shouted, in a lame attempt to try to get me energized about this trip.

I looked at him blankly, which prompted him to start walking to our designated gate. I kept close as I could to the caretaker of my adolescent years. We waded through the crowded hall, having to stop to verbally announce our movements to clear our path. Unlike myself, he had taken the brunt of the luggage, since he was the frivolous one of the both of us. Granted, the the one luggage case and the backpack he carried contained a few of my posessions, mostly clothes. Pragmatism was a cruel thing, but laziness forced me to let the older man carry the belongings that I couldn't fit into my own bag.

All I really had was another luggage case, a smaller one. I didn't know the contents of it, more clothes? Technology that I refused to put on the bigger bags? Terrell, or Mr. Scott as he likes to be referred to as, was very vague about this vacation. One day, he would say that it was for leisure, then suddenly an internship, and other things I couldn't remember. All I knew was, that it was likely for Mr. Scott's own benefit that this trip occurred. This was all about feeding his conscience, or his ego if I wanted to be more cynical.

I didn't mind going to this trip, personally. Kanto was depressing to live in and even after 4 years of school in a region outside of Kanto, I couldn't escape the feeling of being trapped. I felt caged even within the big cities of Celadon and Saffron. I tried to think from a more optimistic point of view... Perhaps going to Kalos would do me more good than the 4 years in Unova. I could try to take life slowly, relax, and not think about what would happen the next day.

Mr. Scott and I reached Gate 6, the amount of people here sparse. Perhaps we were early, but I wouldn't mind sitting in a plane until it had to depart. A lot of the in-flight entertainment would be useless, but I find myself reveling in my own thoughts as I grew older. This surprised me and alarmed as I grew into adulthood. I was still a young adult, but I craved inactivity, a sedentary life where I would mill around uselessly. I was willing to spend the rest of my life thinking thoughts...

We presented our boarding passes to one of the attendants. Mr. Scott and I were now granted entrance into the plane. As we walked to our seats, I remember Mr. Scott mentioning something along the lines of 'our flight is first class,' or something such.

Did he mean that our seats were nicer and that the interior looked more ostentatious? It looked snazzy and the entertainment options were far more extensive. However, was this entirely necessary? I looked at my 'benefactor,' as I liked to refer to him... He looked proud of himself, as if he arranged this flight all to himself. Mr. Scott turned to me, his movements haughty and reeked of superiority. I felt smothered and annoyed just from his presence and yet he hadn't even made physical contact...

It seemed our designated seats was a pair closest to one of the windows, so I sat down on the seat furthest from the center. Mr. Scott could deal with socializers.

"Claude, _this_ is why I'm taking you to Kalos. I'm going to teach you how to afford all of _this_ without having to worry about money. You will become a man of the elite." Mr. Scott said as he put the luggage on the empty compartments above us.

I nodded slowly at his statements, his purpose as to why we were going to Kalos. It sounded hokey, almost as if he was making them on the spot. That was the tricky thing about Mr. Scott, though. It was hard to discern whether he is truthful or if he was lying. To figure out what he truly wants or desires is beyond my realm of comprehension. There are days where he is hostile, then there are days where he is willing to help.

It felt almost like a daily revelation, but Mr. Scott remained in perpetual anonymity to me. With that thought, I turned my head to window to the circular window. I wanted to take one long look at Kanto before this plane would set off for Kalos.

I tried searching for the skyline of Saffron City, but I couldn't find it... Perhaps the plane was facing away from Saffron, since I couldn't see any of Celadon's buildings. The sky seemed to be permanently overcast, but the region was mercifully free of rain today. There were several planes lined up from what I could see, some with liveries in languages that I didn't recognize...

I could hear the sound of people shuffling to their seats, the inane sound of chatter increasing in volume. It turned my eyes away from the window. There were more people here now, some mingling and refusing to sit down in order to socialize with their friends. The plane somehow felt crowded, even in a section reserved for the 'elite.' The people certainly looked rich and accomplished. A lot of the men and women I saw carried themselves with a genuine confidence, an almost accidental arrogance.

Even in the unconscious competition to see who is the richest or most accomplished, the people regarded each other in good spirits. I glanced to my 'benefactor,' who looked a bit forlorn and dejected. Seeing such a sight on the man's normally confident face was a rarity. Anger was what I would expect, an envy showing itself with a glare from his eyes, but sadness?

Most everyone looked like the product of a corporation, or maybe they were executives. One would think that this plane was a business trip from the amount of suits being worn around. The sports coat I was wearing made me feel like a pale imitation from the professional-looking passengers. Was this the sadness that Mr. Scott was feeling?

What was their purpose? Was Kalos merely a stop to them?

I turned away from them, maybe my perception was at fault. That was a weakness of mine, I was so dazzled by the richest of the rich that I fail to notice the others, the majority. I shut this feeling out as fast as I could and looked out at the window, not wanting to stand in sudden solidarity with Mr. Scott.

"_Hello ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking..."_ I tuned out the male voice from the intercom, disinterested as to what he would say.

"Claude, your seatbelt. We're going to take off soon." Mr. Scott chided me for being unaware of the pilot's pre-flight statements, then showing me how to put on the contraption.

I did suit with mine, securing the seatbelt around my waist with little struggle. I looked at the window again, seeing the scenery move ever so slightly. I took a deep breath as the plane approached the runaway, which allowed me to see some of Celadon's skyscrapers. Much like Saffron's, they too stood out even under the most dreary of clouds. At least it was clear, with no sudden fog enveloping the whole region.

Was one supposed to feel forlorn when they leave the region they call home? That, along with emptiness and uncertainty, was what I felt when the plane took off. Kanto's landmarks were eventually replaced with the neverending sky. I didn't dare look down, fearing vomiting in the plane.

I felt bound to my home, its embrace never letting me go even as the plane sped away from Kanto.

I looked away from the window and tried to put myself in a sleeping position, feeling exhaustion creeping up... In a matter of minutes, I was asleep.

* * *

Checking out of a flight is a miserable process... Not only do we have to wait around as the authorities check the luggage, but the airport was packed with people. Mr. Scott and I were literally standing in a corner, trying to make way for people who were also frantically trying to get what they packed.

Kalosian airports felt oppressive, though the insides looked pretty. There was a metal arch design in one corner, metal columns, and mirrors that allowed one to sight-see. The one we were in seemed to be main one that served the region, called _Aeroport de Lumiose _or something like that. It sounded awkward and unintentionally hilarious when rolled through Mr. Scott's tongue.

The heat within this airport was oppressive, almost choking. The amount of people inside the large hall we were in obscured what little I could see of the new region. I was profusely sweating, already soiling the half-decent coat and the white dress shirt I was wearing. Mr. Scott wasn't faring much better. The room _reeked_ of perspiration and desperation to leave this airport.

I regret overdressing now, I really did. Even those that had the minimal clothing to be decent found themselves suffering under this ridiculous heat. I couldn't escape the stench of the people around me and I wasn't even sure whose nasty scent it was...

I saw Mr. Scott eyeing the conveyor, then him beckoning to me follow him. I sighed in relief, _finally_ we can retrieve our luggage and get out of this airport. I grabbed the smallest duffel bag and extended out the holder so the bag would be moving with its wheels. Mr. Scott and I walked away from the hall and down to the main entrance of the airport, where there was slightly less people. Mr. Scott turned to me, looking pensive and ready to announce something.

"Claude, there'll be a taxi outside that will take us to Lumiose City, the capital, to sight-see some of the tourist destinations and go on a shopping spree if you want. After that, we'll go to Coumarine City to check in to the Coumarine Hotel. Then, we can do whatever the hell we want!" Mr. Scott laid out the agenda, even having to shout at some certain parts to make sure I could hear against the cacophony of the airport.

His antics led to a many stares and a moment of the chatter dying down, which made me a bit uncomfortable. I nodded quickly to ensure that Mr. Scott won't think I would need a reclarification or additional explanation. I dreaded another lecture from him... I hadn't expected that there would be a taxi driver that would drive us around Lumiose City, but I am glad that he was still rich enough to afford a driver... Though I didn't want to think of the expenses. We had first class tickets, a taxi driver acting as a faux chaffeur, and a hotel room. I wasn't sure if I could fathom it if the last two ended up being high-end, though a hotel suite was tempting...

_So what about the business internship?_ I wanted to ask, but he was already walking to the exit. I had to follow suit before I ended up losing him completely.

Mr. Scott and I took our first steps outside of the airport, breathing in the Kalosian air for the first time. How silly of me to think that it was hot inside, I could feel myself melting as Mr. Scott and I walked closer to the arching road, which had cars lined up along both sides of the road.

"Our ride is the blue taxi." Mr. Scott said.

The blue car did indeed stand out from the row of cars lined up on the curved road. It was the only blue one, lost in a sea of wildly varying colors. I wanted to guess that this taxi was special, a probable demand from Mr. Scot when he planned the trip... It was incredibly short for a four-door car, though. There was a sense of economy to it, built to conserve and be efficient rather than being powerful.

The windows rolled down as we approached the car, revealing a male driver inside. Like Mr. Scott, he was in his middle-ages, though a bit younger and a bit more masculine than my benefactor. The driver would have an easier time pulling off a youthful act than Mr. Scott, though the driver's hair was balding and graying.

"You're early, Terrell." He deadpanned and saying Mr. Scott's first name slowly as if to try and irritate him.

I looked Mr. Scott to see if he would react. Aside from the familiar edge in his eyes and annoyance, he didn't seem to be phased at all by the taxi driver's attitude.

"We don't want to be kept waiting. Where do we put our stuff?" Mr. Scott asked, clearly intending to deflect whatever the man was saying.

"The trunk. Now hurry up."

The car's trunk had opened soon after. Mr. Scott put in the one luggage case he had, then went for mine. I handed it to him and he put it on top of the other one with some ease. He then removed the backpack he was wearing and set it against the tower of luggage cases.

I wiped the neverending beads of sweat that dripped down my forehead. A few minutes in the furnace of the Kalosian heat and I'm already melting. I hastily opened the door to the back section of the car, wanting to get in before the heat would suffocate me even further.

I closed the door as soon as I was seated, feeling a slightly gentle cold breeze course through the backside. I was relieved, not only was the car running, but the driver had the courtesy to have the air condition on.

I fastened my seatbelt, to find that I wouldn't be the solitary passenger sitting in the back. Mr. Scott had decided to sit with me, willing to converse with the driver from the back. I looked away from Mr. Scott, feeling an incredibly uncomfortable sensation just being near his vicinity. When I had least expected it, when I craved to be alone in my own thoughts, there _he_ was.

I took a deep breath as silently as I can, knowing that I would have to stomach the whole ride. I survived an entire plane ride with Mr. Scott, surely a drive through a big city wouldn't be any more different?

A conversation between Mr. Scott and the driver had started and the car began to move.

"How is life in Kanto, _Terrell?_" The driver asked, emphasizing Mr. Scott's first name in a concerted attempt to try and aggravate my benefactor.

I was tempted to see how Mr. Scott reacted.

"Do I really need to tell you, Sevan? It's all fine and dandy, nothing noteworthy." Mr. Scott responded, clear that he wanted the driver to shut up.

The driver, named Sevan, didn't attempt to respond to what my benefactor had said. Though I got the feeling that Mr. Scott's despondence was getting to Sevan.

We soon found ourselves entering the freeway, which allowed me to properly tune out whatever words that Sevan or Mr. Scott were saying.

The environment was fascinating to look at as the car sped down the freeway. Unlike the constant wave of green and the sudden patches of industrialization I would see in a Kanto commute, the car seemed to be driving in a freeway built on dry, barren lands. It was no desert, but the lack of vegetation and even water could explain the egregious heat. This was certainly not the sight I expected to see in a new region.

I am hoping that the rest of Kalos does not look this depressing or feel so miserable.

I felt the slight intertia of the car changing lanes, which allowed me to see a few cars that drove through in slightly higher speeds. One that stood out to me was an exotic-looking convertible red car. On that car was a man, driving alone, wearing a shirt covered in palm trees, and bespectacled in sunglasses. That was all I could see, as the man increased the red car's speed as soon as he passed the car I was in.

I pulled my head away from the passenger window, to find more chatter between Mr. Scott and the taxi driver.

However, the conversation was in a language I didn't recognize. Sevan had an ease in his control of the new language I was hearing and was a lot more comfortable using it compared to the lone language I know. Mr. Scott was trying in vain to try and communicate with Sevan with what I assumed to be his mother tongue, but it was a challenge for him... It wasn't as bad as Mr. Scott speaking kalosian, but it was still painful to hear nonetheless.

I looked ahead, seeing a bright blue tower, though it mixed in with the clear sky, that wasn't so far from us. The car seemed to be on an exit from this freeway that would lead us down on a route that would take us directly to Lumiose. It was more like a highway, with only one lane reserved for each direction.

A nagging familiarity came at the sight of that blue tower... I traced that familiarity back to a distant memory, a memory that suggested that I was in this region before. I was tempted to try and force my mind to remember what that memory was and why this tower was so significant to me...

I remember its striking beauty, but...

I couldn't have been here before. No, that wasn't possible. I don't remember the dry land, the ridiculous heat, or going to an airport. It's probably just misplaced nostalgia...

I simply set myself against the seat once again, content on looking at the passenger window. There was less badlands and more grass, this time around. The fact that there was only one lane did quell my worries just a little bit, assuring me that Sevan won't attempt some sort road rage by driving on the opposite lane.

Even though we were rapidly approaching Lumiose City at our current speed, my feet felt numb from a lack of use and my left arm had a tingling sensation to it. I tried to think nothing of it, but mental distress and the thought of a potential internal malfunction within my own body quelled up my anxiety. I wanted to get out of this taxi and try to purge these thoughts away...

The car had started to slow down as more and more buildings from the city started to appear. Lumiose appeared to be circular and the buildings were a combination of drab, classy, and homely. It looked like a city choked by the modernization of society, yet still remained tightly to its old roots. The contrast between some was jarring, even from afar.

"So, any place you would like to go to?" Sevan suddenly asked, leaving me unsure as to who he was directing his question to.

"Claude..." Mr. Scott nudged me as he whispered my name.

I shrugged my shoulders quickly in response, unsure as to who Sevan was asking... Me? He has yet to even acknowledge my existence, let alone ask for my name.

"Just drive around the city and stop where all the tourists are." Mr. Scott answered, seemingly on my behalf. He glared at me when he finished his answer, silently accusing me of not being confident enough to talk to the driver.

"Typical." Sevan spat out, acknowledging the task but it was clear that he would not enjoy it.

The taxi had now crawled to a stop, a line ahead of us now, and one booth just a few cars ahead. Toll booths? Aside from Unova, which was a region filled to the brim with toll booths, I'd never imagine Kalos having some.

After minutes of small movements towards the booth, Sevan had paid the security guard in the booth, which finally granted us entrance to the city. I was relieved, feeling the small sense of depression disappear for just a brief moment. I could no longer bear the scenery, the endless amounts of badlands that extended even to this very city's borders. It felt far too derelict, too lifeless... I couldn't stand such a barren environment no longer...

The car moved in occasion, inching closer to the toll booth. Then, I felt my body slightly pushed against the chair, the engine's roar piercing through the windows, signaling that we were finally near Lumiose City.

I no longer saw the badlands and the taxi was now in the city. The transition from such barren nature to a bustling metropolis was too sudden for me, making me disregard the fact that Sevan had revved the engine as soon as he entered the city. The taxi started to shake from the bumpy road, which did not look smooth at all.

I felt overwhelmed and enthralled as Sevan drove down the street. The buildings were a bizarre marriage of modern and ancient. The modern buildings looked sleek, meant for a corporation, and were built for space. While the more traditional buildings looked more aesthetically pleasing to the eye. There was a bizarre elegance to their design that made them endearing, almost attractive. They felt homely...

"Alright, the intersection in front of us is where North and South Boulevard meet. We'll go to Prism Tower, then Rouge Plaza, and we're off to the hotel. Good agenda?" Sevan stated, directing the question towards Mr. Scott.

"Yes, Sevan. We don't want to be in this city for long." Mr. Scott responded, almost too quickly.

I wouldn't have minded staying in this city for the day, but it seemed it wasn't to be. Yet, as I took in the sights and sounds of Lumiose... I started to realize that Mr. Scott's hesitance in being in this city wasn't entirely unfounded.

The amount of cars that were passing through the large intersection in all directions made me feel queasy, making me wonder just how Sevan would be able to turn without angering one driver. The sidealks themselves seemed packed, though the people walking through looked panicked and paranoid. As if the slightest hint of an emergency would send them into a hopeless phase of utter desperation and hysteria. There was the occasional trainer or two, running down the sidewalks while trying to make their way to the routes, offering up some sort of positivity. I could even see a few pokemon out and about in the sidewalks. Another oddity, considering the amount of cars driving through. Yet, the people seemed uptight, almost rude...

Maybe we were better off somewhere smaller, so we could rest from the plane trip without having to deal with such an active city.

Sevan decided to make a very sharp right, the sudden inertia leaving me helpless as I was yanked slightly to my left. He then seemed to step on the gas pedal, making the taxi's engine roar for a second before quieting down to a reasonable level. Sevan seemed to be aggressive in this boulevard, overtaking other drivers and nearly bumping others in front of him... In response, we get honks and shouts of frustration from drivers that were muffled by the closed mirrors.

Every driver in this boulevard was aggressive. It was a very uncomfortable disharmony of cars passing around, with a lack of rhythm or any sort of consideration being shown. As I continued to look out into the window, it was hard to begin to tell who was who or what was what. The city began to blur and so did its people. All uniqueness was lost to a steady stream of seemingly comfortable sameness. Colors of gray and black were so common throughout these buildings, with only neon signs, flashing lights, and colorful proclamations differentiating them, if there were even any.

Sevan had slowed down the car and made a left turn, one that nearly knocked my head on the window. It didn't help that Sevan had made the turn so rapidly. The sudden turn left me with a faint sense of dizzyness and a moment of blank thoughts. I had become so disengaged that it was difficult to focus on anything. It took me a few moments to regain a sense of thought and to process the fact that this taxi was now in a new street. Which, from a glance, was just as big as the boulevard we were in. There were less cars here, though the pedestrian presence was considerably larger.

The light blue tower that I saw on the freeway was in full display, the car was literally opposite from the structure. From the distance, I could fully take in its elegance and its curvature. It seemed to glow under the sun, seeming only to stand out under the clear kalosian skies. That sense of familiarity returned with a much greater force. I _knew_ I had seen this tower before, this was not my first time.

"That large tower ahead of us is Prism Tower. Nothing special, really. It used to be special until the league decided to make it the pokemon gym." Sevan suddenly stated, his voice taking on a distrusting and borderline rage-like tone on his last sentence.

I turned my head to see what Mr. Scott's reaction would be, but he didn't say anything. He only nodded his head to the driver he hired and didn't seem to actually care for his words. I wanted to attribute the sudden aloofness to Mr. Scott's apathy of the pokemon league, but Mr. Scott always seemed to exude an annoyed atmosphere whenever Sevan would speak.

I looked back at the tower, feeling deflated from what Sevan had said. The design of the tower was still beautiful to my eyes and I couldn't resist being charmed by its elegance... Yet, to hear the tower's main purpose being reduced to a gym... Yet, I still obsessed over the thought of this tower. I have seen the structure before, somehow. Perhaps what bothered me is that I didn't know when...

I sat back against the chair, looking through the passenger window as the car moved at a reasonable pace. The endless stream of people walking about, trying to rush each other, and waiting at a crosswalk would have to tide me over until we get out of this city. The buildings here looked much older than the ones on the boulevard. Instead of sleek modern buildings interspersed with traditional-looking buildings, this avenue was unquestionably old. The only traces of modern design was the occasional cafe that we drove through.

It was the people that had caught my attention, though. Naturally, there were more people walking towards the Prism Tower roundabout than going to the boulevard. It seemed to be tourist season, though it was difficult to distinguish who was who and why people were acting in a peculiar way. Who was a local? Who was a tourist? Why are the people so intent on walking so fast? Why are they so paranoid?

The taxi had eventually reached the circular roundabout that surrounded Prism Tower. In the sidewalks, there were a crowd of people idly standing by or trying to move, shoving or pushing down the stationary. What was going on here?

"What the... Riots!?" Mr. Scott shouted.

Wait... Riots? I took a closer look at the taxi's windshield. There was a crowd in front of Prism Tower, blocking the doors and antagonizing what looked to be trainers that were opposite of them. The crowd itself wasn't uniform, but most were carrying white pickets with writing that I couldn't read due to the car's speed.

For a split second, I saw one person from that crowd actually lunge on one of the people trying to get into the gym and assault them, _right in front of a crowd_. I was too transfixed by the horror in front of my eyes to immediately turn away from the scene.

"Sevan, get us the hell out of this city! Why haven't they closed the roads!?" Mr. Scott nearly started to panic, fearing for his own life.

Sevan seemed to have complied, for just as soon as I was about to turn away from the violence, I had no longer seen it. He then immediately got us on a street that led directly out of the city and weaved through the cars that had slowed down to due to the violence. We were the only ones that had successfully made it out of that roundabout, for what was behind us was now transfixed by the violence that was sure to erupt.

I felt anxiety creep to my chest, suffocating me with the temptation to scream out in panic and a rapid increase in my heartbeat. Did Mr. Scott know about this? Did Sevan know about this? What the _hell_ just happened back there? Why did it happen?

I wasn't sure if the entire city was stable at this point, or how we were not pulled over by police by Sevan speeding down the street and into an exit. It didn't matter though, I did not want to be in this city any longer. The thought of being isolated here under martial law, on what was supposed to be a vacation...

"Did you know about this, Sevan!? Did you know about what would happen here!?" Mr. Scott cried, his voice cracking under his hysteria.

"SHUT UP! JUST SHUT YOUR MOUTH!" Sevan screamed at this top of his lungs, making the car jerk forward violently.

The taxi sped out of the city, running through the exit and entering the highway leading to who knows where. Mr. Scott had not dared to talk after Sevan's outburst.

"You two have entered Kalos at a horrible time. Everything seems normal, but that riot? That riot was arranged by people who don't trust the pokemon league, who don't trust those so-called pokemon trainers. People thought it was nothing more than a fringe movement, but they were wrong. Those people, unfairly demonized by this region, are normal people just like you and me. They are not malevolent and they are not evil." Sevan suddenly spoke, vaguely explaining what happened back at Lumiose.

"How did you know and not tell us that, Sevan!? Did you think I'd take someone with me at a region that had some crazy activist movement!?" Mr. Scott asked, utter frustration taking over him, a panic I rarely ever see from him.

"You allowed your parasite to enroll in a school in Unova, Terrell. It's clear that you're used to endangering the lives of the people you seem to love, if you even know what happened there." Sevan flatly stated, not even bothering to reciprocate Mr. Scott's shouting.

"Whatever happened in Unova was already over, Sevan! Don't you dare to try to lay the blame on me, that was his choice! NOT MINE! A bit rich you're telling ME to shut up, you rebellious prick! Just drive to Coumarine City and don't you dare go anywhere else!" Mr. Scott shouted, never resting to catch his breath.

There was only silence in the car now, with Sevan refusing to respond to Mr. Scott's tirade. I wanted to say something, to ask a question, but I knew that my perspective was limited. Both of them had knowledge that was implicit to them, knowledge of this region that I didn't know. I could only keep silent, with the car's engine being the only sound around us aside from nearby cars passing by. The situation would only get worse if I tried to speak.

I mulled over Mr. Scott and Sevan's words... Just how much did Sevan know? I remembered his tone when he explained the sudden riot and the breakdown of peace, he sounded _sympathetic._ Was he sensitive to the cause? The message? Did he personally know people in that crowd in front of Prism Tower? I can't imagine it being an act...

Mr. Scott would've had to have researched about this region in advance of our vacation... My knowledge of riots were limited, but Sevan's words suggested to me that there was an external cause to this riot. That there were people that knew about a movement, but responded to it with only an apathy. Surely, Mr. Scott may have seen something in the news during his research...

I wouldn't put it past him to hide something like this, considering his obsession with appearances. He wasn't taking the knowledge of the fact that we had entered Kalos in such an unstable day very well. Accusations would only incense him further, so I decided that it would be best not to ask about what had happened...

I then thought to Sevan's statement about my going to a Unovan university, specifically Castelia City University, prior to this trip. It was half-true, his statement. I enrolled in Castelia City University just shortly after a group called 'New Team Plasma' was defeated. That same team was an offshoot of the original 'Team Plasma,' who held much of same ideals as those rioters back in Lumiose... Yet, things were different when I had entered in Unova.

I entered that region when it was barely starting to recover from New Team Plasma's activities. It was a far different atmosphere here in Kalos, a much more threatening one. There seemed to be a cloud of uncertainty that was draped over this region, something that I didn't expect at all.

Another question lingered in my mind, _how _did Sevan know how I went to Unova during my college years?

I wasn't sure who to believe, or what to believe. I could only blankly stare at my hands, my mind shutting down and my thoughts disorganized. All I knew was of the uncertainty of this vacation... How would we live in a region that seemed to be unstable?

I waited for someone, maybe Mr. Scott or Sevan, to rationalize it and say that it was merely an isolated incident. A blip in the radar, an oddity in an otherwise peaceful city. Yet, I was only met with silence and a tense feeling through the air. No one dared to speak.

The car slowed down at some parts and accelerating at others. I felt the swerve of a sharp turn and the car slowing down to a halt, where were we? I looked up from my hands to find the taxi parked in front of a brown building, designed elegantly. On the building's center was a wooden double door that seemed to have been polished recently. However, the roof, which was darker than the light brown exterior, suggested that the building was one that lasted through modernization. It didn't look ancient, but it did not look sleek.

"Get out and get your belongings." Sevan ordered us, which only incited a scoff and a fit of near rage from Mr. Scott.

I opened the passenger door as soon as I could and walked to the car's trunk, focused only on getting our luggage out, as was Mr. Scott. Sevan at least had the courtesy to open it. I hastily grabbed the smallest luggage case and the backpack that Mr. Scott carried around while in the Lumiose Airport. He had taken the rest of the luggage, set them on the ground, and angrily slammed the trunk down.

"Wait here, I'll pay the driver." Mr. Scott told me, refusing to say Sevan's name.

I watched as Mr. Scott walked over to the driver window, taking out his wallet and giving Sevan a stack of pokedollars. The exchange was mostly peaceful, though it was clear that Mr. Scott no longer trusted our driver. The thin acquaintanceship that they had, which seemed to be established long before this vacation, was now severed. A fragile bridge not only had been burned, it was destroyed. There was no hope of repair.

As soon as Mr. Scott walked away from the driver's window, Sevan's taxi had sped off. Leaving Mr. Scott and I in front of our hotel, with luggage at our feet.

It was only now was I able to take in the city we were in, Coumarine City, I think... Unlike the packed city of Lumiose, Coumarine felt a bit empty. There were people walking out and about, but no crowds. There was a strange sense of normalcy and peace here, senses that felt too jarring. The hotel also seemed to be close to a port, with an array fancy looking boats.

Mr. Scott picked up his luggage, motioning me to follow him to the hotel.

"Okay Claude, now that _that_'_s_ over... We're going to check into Coumarine hotel and get the keys to our two-room executive suite. Separate beds, if that makes you happy." Mr. Scott tried to keep a lively tone as he layed out the agenda.

I only looked at him blankly, which prompted Mr. Scott to open the door by shoving his arm, temporarily letting go of one the cases, then grabbing it, and using one of his arms to shove the doors open. We walked into the hotel and it was a sight to behold.

The hotel looked classy in the inside. With alternating panels of blue and cream white on the floor and lights that evoked a gothic design. The chairs, tables, and sofas seemed to also be artfully selected. The former two had intricate wooden designs, while the waiting areas were dressed in fabrics of deeper red or blue.

There was a receptionist ahead of us, behind a desk that shined under the lights on the wall. He was a young man, with slack black hair and a look that suggested he was pampered. He smiled almost instantly as soon as he saw us.

"Good afternoon, welcome to the Coumarine Hotel. How may I help you?" The young man asked us, sounding a bit too enthusiastic and happy. It came off forced.

"Yes, hello. We're here to check in." Mr. Scott answered, clearly intending to rush the receptionist.

"Yes... Yes, of course. Your full name, sir?" The receptionist ask, his happy charade falling apart bit by bit.

"Terrell Francis Scott."

"Okay... Just let me through the computer..." The receptionist got to work immediately on the desktop next to him.

"Okay, under your name, we have for you a two-room executive suite with full housekeeping, amenities, and free wi-fi. You also have one guest with you. Is this information correct?"

The receptionist was only met with a nod from Mr. Scott. This caused him to reach for under his desk and handed my benefactor a booklet.

"Enclosed within this booklet is a list of your services and your room key. Please keep it safe, for we only provide one copy of each room key card. Enjoy your stay and thank you for choosing Coumarine Hotels. You are staying in Room 125."

Again, the receptionist's words only fell to deaf ears, as Mr. Scott started to walk towards one of the hallways, where there were rooms marked 100-110. I followed suit, but I had to wonder... Was it entirely necessary for Mr. Scott to act like that? He is rarely kind to strangers, but I thought Mr. Scott would've shown more courtesy to people meant to make us feel comfortable...

The hallway ended at a room marked 120, which was a double doored. We then took a right, the new hallway actually full of double door rooms. Mr. Scott found room 125 and slid the room card on a device next to the door. It beeped and the small dotted light on the device flashed green, the door was unlocked.

I gaped when Mr. Scott opened the door... The suite was very high class and felt 'complete.' The décor was stylish. The room we saw, which I presumed to be the living room, was fully furnished with a TV, lamps with white covers, and dark blue sofas. Mr. Scott and I walked in, setting the luggage aside.

"At the very least, they don't disappoint. It looks like we weren't able to do some shopping. I have to call the rental car company too..." Mr. Scott rambled, not even bothering to tell me what to do or what would happen for the rest of the day, taking the luggage to the beds.

I sat down on the couch that faced against the TV. The only thing I could see was my own reflection, tinted in gray.

I was surprised that I looked so tired, yet calm... There was no emotion on my face, just a blank look that didn't surprise me, yet it also scared me...

I looked away, knowing that I had to help Mr. Scott unpack. I sat up, feeling anxiety take over me as I got a small luggage case that Mr. Scott had left near the corner.

I wondered what would happen now, or more importantly, what would happen in the future.

I left those internal questions unanswered and carried on my day to the rhythm of clothes being unpacked, luggage being opened, and the sounds of the rooms around us.

I laid down on one of the beds as the last luggage case was unpacked and set aside in a closet, yet my eyes reamined perpetually opened...


	2. Heat

I stared at my reflection in the water, feeling a sense of loss as I took in my lethargic state. I did not know that five days would leave such a profound effect on me, an effect that nearly cost me my sanity and my ability to function. Five days of losing sleep, endlessly staring at the window as I lay down on the bed, and constant images of innocent people being beaten down. I wasn't sure how to take such a phenomena and I felt defenseless... I couldn't rid this panic and hysteria from myself...

I had to be careful as I stepped away from the edge, else I end up in the water. I was near the Coumarine port, with the same fancy ships I saw from five days earlier still docked near the immaculus wood. In truth, it felt more like a shared marina... I wondered if we could rent some of these boats, perhaps take them out to the ocean and watch a beautiful sunset over the horizion. These boats are not what I desired, for they were mostly mini-yachts or boats that required a sail. Maybe there was a speedboat somewhere...

Even in tiredness, I felt the need to take in Coumarine City. It was a very picturesque little abode, with a few cobbled streets and a calm atmosphere. I welcomed the change of pace from living in the big city, despite my anxiety having taken on a new level. When not drowned in my own thoughts, Coumarine felt... Peaceful. I desired that feeling of peace and that is why today, I am watching the seaside.

I idly wondered what time it was. Considering the sun was out in full force, it should be high noon. Even admist immersing myself in such a calming atmosphere, I couldn't escape the blistering kalosian heat. It was no less intense here in Coumarine City, though it was somewhat more bearable now. During the week, I had decided to rid myself of wearing the attire I had brought for the 'business internship,' and went short-sleeved.

_Ah... The business internship..._ I lamented. It had successfully escpaed my mind a couple days after what had happened in Lumiose, but I had thought about in occasion... Now it was on the forefront on my mind, a what could've been scenario.

To be frank, I hated the thought of a business internship, even though it certainly was the best thing possible for me in terms of my progression in society. Business was never really a calling for me, nor had I ever been passionate about the discipline. Maybe out of weakness, or maybe out of fear, I had only undertaken business as a form of study in order to appease Mr. Scott and also in the hope that it would land me a decent, stable job. No ambitions, no stratospheric goals. The aim was to be inevitably second-rate, an irony that was not lost on me when Mr. Scott insisted I study business.

_Maybe if only I had shown more enthusiasm, more care for what I was forced to study..._ I thought idly, but dropped those thoughts shortly after. I wasn't itching to have my thoughts run in circles.

I walked away from the port and back to the Coumarine Hotel. There had not been much of an agenda these past five days, nor any sense or sort of direction. I was largely left to my own devices, as I had rarely seen Mr. Scott within the suite. It was only during the wee early hours of the morning that I saw Mr. Scott, with him splayed on the bed and reeking of questionable odors. It really wasn't until yesterday that he had started to spend more time in the suite and talking to me what we would be doing in our incredibly long stay in Kalos.

As for myself... I didn't exactly help my mental state. I had spent the last five days reading political articles, opinion pieces, and columns. I was immersed in a constant stream of information, wantonly taking it in without absorbing any of it. Most of what I had read concerned the events in Lumiose, which would then lead into myself reading about Kalos as a whole.

To put it in words, the immersion was... enlightening and certainly eye-opening. It did not take long for me to realize just how divided the Kalos region was. The split within this region was both ideological and by coincidence, geographical. I had the luck of the draw, with Coumarine City being in Coastal Kalos, a safe haven. The other sub-region, Mountain Kalos, was unstable in every sense of the word. There were threats to secede, a provisional government being forcefully installed, and Kalosian governmental buildings ransacked and evicted of employees.

Of course, just like all unbelievable things, the events' validity was called into question. No one is sure of the state of the region, and in most cases people were afraid to comment if such a question were to be asked.

I myself didn't believe much of it, but that was my perception of politics. The one thing that surprised me was what was fought over.

_Pokemon._ I wasn't sure if it was the creatures themselves, the league, or the occupations that came with it. Regardless, it was the frame behind the ideological split.

There seemed to be two main factions that fought over Pokemon. One faction described itself as one that advocated for 'human supremacy.' They believed that pokemon were inferior species and were effectively holding human development to a halt. It was them that held back what humans truly could be.

Almost naturally, there was a side that deeply pro-pokemon. No one is quite sure what to call those people, 'a silent majority' is what most of the press seem to say.

That was my reading of it, though admittedly it was a very basic and barebones reading. I actively looked for two sides and for that ideological split. If I had to be honest, what I had truly read from it was that all sides seemed merely the same, with only variations and self-delusion running rampant through each group's various statements. The extreme ends only acted as a template for splinter groups, the 'true' silent majority. It was a cynical, though honest reading of it. Amusingly, such an argument that each group was merely acting from an illusion of self-given purpose was only shown in the fringes of the internet... The media that was a step beyond the independent media. Outlets that actively sought out the conspiracy theory and played devil's advocate with an almost disturbing glee.

Opening the door to the hotel and walking to my room had become a laboring process, with my walking slowed to a crawl. As soon as I reached room 125, I fumbled around my pockets for the one card key that Mr. Scott had entrusted me with. It always seemed to get lost within the fabric of the pockets, smothered beneath my wallet. Common sense would have me put it within my wallet, but alas... I lack the ability to think far ahead at inoppurtune times.

I opened the door to the suite, which had become slightly more acceptable and homely to live in without cringing at the utter excess of it all. When one looked at the décor more closely, it was actually neo-retro in a sense. All items looked brand new, the artwork on the walls looked suitably modern, yet there was a feeling of nostalgia of a recently bygone era in the coloring, the design, and even on the furniture. There were also windows at strategic places, which did allow some nice views of the ocean.

I sat down on the blue sofa, grabbing the remote in the process and settling for daytime news until Mr. Scott came back. I was surprised that I had came back to an empty suite, for it was a Saturday. He was likely exploring the nearby town or this hotel. The main attraction, Lumiose City, would remain in perpetual lockdown...

I wouldn't have minded this sort of existence, sitting down on the sofa and watching mindless television... I could barely comprehend what was on, it seemed to be a news program with flashy graphics and occasionally a few interviews being shown. Nothing too brutal, nothing too boring. It was typical and comfortingly normal.

Perhaps this was what the lap of luxury was, making life even more comfortable than it should be. College was my first exposure to such luxury, yet sitting here in a sofa that was easy to get lost into... It felt excessive, almost unnecessary and unneeded.

What was the point of all this excess? Why did Mr. Scott order such a lavish suite?

Admittedly, this suite was better than living in a hostel. I sat up from the sofa and left the TV on, a waste of energy, but I wasn't the one footing the bill. I should be looking to eliminate such energy-wasting habits, but I find apathy getting in the way, along with convenience.

I merely milled around the central hallway that connected the lounge, the bedroom, and the kitchen. There didn't seem to be much hope of Mr. Scott coming back, so perhaps I could explore Coumarine City myself... However, for all its prettiness, there was naught to do in Coumarine except endlessly stare at the ocean. I was no sociable creature, so it was unlikely that I would ever set foot in a cafe and start chatting naturally.

I couldn't suppress my sudden desire to expose myself under the dreadful heat... It made me feel nostalgic, this feeling of aimlessness. It harkened me back to 4 years ago, when I was but a mere 18 year old, only having just turned into a legal adult. I was starting university, with roommates that were too active for my tastes, and my desire for isolation being suddenly turned into a desire to be less isolationist. Albeit, it was only to such a limited extent that I essentially locked myself in my dormitory and became isolationist for the rest of my college years.

I would stay in this suite then, until Mr. Scott came back. There was a lot unplaced and unneeded nostlagia today. I fiddled with my thumbs, trying to bide my time and letting boredom settle in.

I heard a small 'beep' from behind the door, indicating that it had been unlocked. Then, the suite door opened, revealing Mr. Scott. Surprisingly, he looked neat and professional. There was nary a blemish on the suit he was wearing, which was a cream colored suit with a similarly covered undershirt and tie. He looked a bit exhausted. I should be concerned, but I found myself looking away as he made himself at home.

"I've never seen you up this early." Mr. Scott commented, which didn't elicit a response for me.

Oh, time. Another thing I lost track of through this relatively hellish week. To be honest, I wasn't sure why I needed to keep track of what time it was any longer. His comment did make me question what time it really was though, certainly not the morning...

"Are you alright, Claude?" He had asked, though not in a way that showed concern. Mr. Scott was losing his patience with me, with the way his voice developed an uncomfortable edge.

"I'm fine." I replied back, trying to signal my annoyance with my voice as much as I could.

"Oh, you speak now." Mr. Scott responded back, getting my unsaid message loud and clear.

Perhaps that was the game today, how much can we burn our bridges without completely destroying them. I saw him walking back to the bedroom, finally leaving me alone in the living quarters.

I stared in his direction, feeling unexpectedly wistful and even a bit sad... Sad for who? I'll admit, it was for myself.

I felt my arms being burned by the surface of the counter, which was being directly hit by the sun from the window behind me. I regretted not going sleeveless, it's certainly going to leave some kind of mark...

I got off the counter and closed the blinds, shutting some of the light out and propagating darkness around the room. I liked it better this way, less heat to deal with... Less emotions, less fighting, and less reflecting...

Maybe I'd get some peace this way...

* * *

It was a sad fact that staying up late into the night was of no concern for me. I had become so used to staying up into the late hours, way past midnight. It was something of an exaggeration, as it was currently 30 minutes past midnight. I'd normally be dry heaving on my bed, mulling over my thoughts and 'freaking out' about my future, as I would think when I was young.

Tonight, it was different, more calm and more serene... Though to frame my night in such positive words were little lies. I didn't feel calm, just devoid of any emotion. I sat in my bed, with the one next to me empty. I was expecting Mr. Scott to come back, but he never did. If I wasn't silently panicking over such a fact, I'd have chastised myself for sounding like a concerned partner. Yet, even in the age where I was supposed to be one hundred percent independent, I was still reliant on an authority figure to take care of my welfare and my being. How utterly pathetic I must sound, especially to those raised in a 'laissez-faire' perspective.

Self-pity was the new theme for the night. As such, considering that I would seem to have this villa for myself, I would watch TV then. I can't imagine the news being aired at this hour, primetime has long since passed and I know that perhaps the majority of the normative citizenry must be asleep.

I grabbed the remote and settled myself onto the couch, feeling the last vestiges of exhaustion escape, guaranteeing that I would not sleep tonight. I pressed the 'on' button, finding myself on a channel that exclusively showed kid-friendly fare. More importantly, it showed pokemon. I felt a bit miffed that I would find myself in such a channel. I felt an indignancy, a shame at watching something so naïve of the world.

Was it truly naïve? I never knew just from watching just a few seconds of it. The colors were too bright for my liking, the dialogue too stiff, too forced. I had a curiosity for the show, though, that allowed me to sit on it for a few minutes and observe what was truly going on. I didn't want to analyze it, for fear I might hole myself in my own thoughts and cause another wave of hysteria.

I recognized some of the pokemon on the screen, though it was clear that they were not of Kalosian origin. In fact, many of the pokemon I've seen on this show so far was from Unova... Wait...

Oh, I recognized these pokemon now. The protagonists of the show seemed to be the 'Swords of Justice,' and looking at the listing, that _was_ the title of the show. I remember studying these four legendary pokemon very briefly for a class in college, though it was likely I took it when I was merely a first or second year. Was it the Pokemon History class? I don't remember it being particularly intensive in the courseload... Ah, I can't remember, oh well.

I also noticed a distinct lack of humans in the show, which felt like an affront as a viewer. There was no emotional crutch, no scapegoat to defend. Then again, perhaps that was for the best. I probably would've been a touched more incensed if a bigoted human had been put on the show, though how the show would've been kept kid-friendly was lost on me.

I opened the guide menu, noticing that perhaps I couldn't escape from pokemon. Never before have I ever felt so alienated from society. There were so many programs related to the creatures, some that looked appealing and some that I would just flat out avoid. Surely there must be a good human drama somewhere, or even a comedy...

I gave up once I reached the 'paid programming' channels. There was utterly nothing in the guide that I'd attach myself to, though there were a few things that piqued my interest. However, the indignancy came back when I thought of the channels I wanted view, but for much different reasons.

To my surprise, there was a channel dedicated to academia and the university. It was a channel that showed documentaries based on academic documents, dissertations, and journals. It reminded briefly of the dream I had back in my university years. Pursuing the doctoral degree, becoming a scholar, and teacing at a bastion of knowledge. Romantic, yes, though it was a fleeting dream.

Perhaps the university being brought into the forefront of my mind was what triggered my second bout of indignancy. I felt a certain bout of nostalgia for my college years, a sudden fear that perhaps they were my glory years, as recent as they were. It seemed so silly to worry about whether or not I had 'peaked' in life.

The program title itself was curious, _Estranged Partners: An Examination of Sexual Pokemon-Human Relations._

I wasn't surprised to find such a documentary at this late of an hour, where only the most depraved or the most exhausted would dare stay up. Sex was a topic that had gotten more difficult to avoid as I got older. To the point where I honestly no longer cared about the thought of having intercourse. It was so odd, the way it was taught. It cannot be denied that it was something of a bizarre human ritual if taken at the prudish perspective. A taboo not to be taken at all. Abstinence is key, temptation is the tainted apple. Perhaps the only thing more taboo was the thought of pokemon intercourse, a subject that not even the most brave would dare not even touch. A taboo of all taboos of sorts.

As I switched the channel, making a jarring transition to kid-friendly fare to possibly provocative commentary on sexual relations, I wondered just how much controversy did this cause if it was a publicized release. As far as first impressions go, I wasn't particularly impressed. The points were fascinating and the commentary compelling at times, especially at a segment where emotions were described and how generally pokemon feel a greater attachment towards fellow pokemon or humans rather than humans. There was a severe lack of biology, of examples, or perhaps even images of their assertions. It was a lot less scientific than I had imagined, a lot less concrete, and more theoretical.

"_However, the human species themselves are far more predisposed to sex than their pokemon counterparts. Tests and studies have shown that humans have a greater appetite for sexual intercourse than say a typical Lucario or even a Zororark. Perhaps the unfortunate part of such tests is that there are not enough variable between both humans and pokemon. Humans are only one species after all. In spite of our uniqueness, Pokemon merely display us as a homogenic species."_

For a documentary about sex, I was disappointed that the actual commentary itself actually did not explicitly mention the inner processes of intercourse. The words went into one ear out of the other as I blankly stared at the screen, losing what little interest I had in the program. I kept the volume low, in an attempt to try to be decent and not to disturb the neighbours in the nearby rooms. The documentary kept on with its chaste nature and I felt my eyes began to close little by little.

The program had finally ended, which had segued into some commercials. I felt a relief, feeling my silent obligation to watch the documentary come to an end. I pressed the info button when I grabbed the remote, revealing the time... _2:00AM, time has passed by too fast..._ Sleeping would hold no reward at this hour, it seems an all-nighter was inevitable.

I watched as the commercials passed by, with some reaching informercial-like lengths. The desperation at which some commercials try to sell their products astound me every time. At the very least some looked amusing, if downright illogical and even dangerous. Pokemon pillows that actually simulate attacks while a child sleeps? A nightlight powered by actual fire?

A commercial then came on which I instantly recognized from constant late night TV sessions similar to this one. In fact, such commercials came on at this time of night. It was a commercial that advertised '_ils sont des celibataires chauds,'_ under the foreign wording were 'Many Hot Singles FOR YOU!' in hot red coloring against a shimmering pink backdrop. The background then faded into dark blue as sensual music played, revealing a tomboyish woman with coiffed red hair looking seductively into the camera. She was posed against a bed, arms crossed and looking like she was actively looking at me... I felt uncomfortable under her stare.

"_Bonsoir. Bienvenue a les secrets, a place where you can call the hottest singles all over Kalos in one phone call. Just dial the number below your screen right now and the first phone call is on us. It's free and we promise... No one will ever know. So, give it a try. We're ready for your call."_

The woman on the TV winked as the number was displayed on the bottom of the screen, above it were the words 'READY FOR YOUR CALL' in some bizarre, neo-futuristic, yet somehow retro font. The whole commercial itself felt as if it was deliberately antiquated, shot with a camera that did not give a clear image.

I thought of calling the number on the screen, considering I had nothing else to do tonight or for the rest of my time here in Kalos... I wasn't one for sexual exploits of any kind and there was a slight fear that I may well call an imposter on a line. The lack of any sort of regulation was shocking, but I was beyond caring at this point. Perhaps someone to talk to, probably someone looking for sex, was a remedy I needed.

I went to the bedroom to grab my phone, since I had left it charged ever since I retired to this damned suite in the afternoon. I was glad it was no longer the embarrassing flip phone I distinctly remember owning at some point in my life, but perhaps the one con of having such an advanced phone is that I am woefully unskilled at handling technology.

_Just make the call and remember the number on the TV screen..._ I said to myself mentally as I tried to navigate the phone, having to get through a lock screen due to my constant paranoia that people would try to physically steal or take a glance at my nonexistent data and media.

I sat on my bed, leaning myself against the wall and laying down slightly. I dialed the number, hoping that I get it right and that the number actually existed. I heard the dial tone ring on multiple times, feeling a quiet anxiety take over me. Who was going to pick up on the other side? Will I be met with silence?

"_Bonsoir, bienvenue a les secrets. Please wait as we process your call and match you up to the hottest singles in Kalos. Sorry to keep you waiting, we know you don't want to."_ A male voice said, trying to sound seductive but really sounding more enthusiastic instead.

A waiting line, and they tried to be cheeky about it. I didn't feel the need to respond, since the message sounded like it was pre-recorded. The music from the commercial was the background music it seemed, playing once the male voice was gone. I shifted my body, feeling a sudden sense of violation. It was too fast and too sensual for my liking.

The waiting line felt too long and the music started to grate on me... After a few minutes or so, I heard the music start to quiet down. Did the people from _les secrets_ finally connect me to someone?

"_Who is this?"_ A female voice answered, sounding incredibly raspy and incredibly annoyed. I gandered that the waiting line for her must have been far longer than mine.

"A man." I answered back.

"_Well you clearly don't sound like one. I'd hang up but the waiting lines suck. Name?"_

"Claude. Who are you?" I responded, feeling a small tinge of regret at taking the bait of calling this line from the commercial. I was tempted to launch my own set of retorts, but I didn't have the energy to... I tried to tell myself that there were worse people in these adult chat lines. At the very least, I got someone who seemed to call for no reason but to pass the time, which was largely my reason for calling as well.

"_Name's Molly. Well, at least it sounds like you're normal. I was expecting someone who was climaxing on the phone already. You sound way too young, though."_

I also did not expect this phone line to make me feel affronted.

"I'm 21. I do not use my voice often." I tried to respond factually, though I probably came off sounding scripted. To be truthful, it's been a long time since I tried to speak with someone that is not Mr. Scott. I've been used to his ticks, the way he responds, and what he likes to be told. I was tempted to hang up, not caring that it would be rude.

"_21? Nice. You're ripe for an emotional breakown. I only have a year on you, I'm 22. So, I guess all we're doing is asking questions. What the hell are you calling this les secrets line for?" _Molly asked, almost demandingly.

"I am bored." I flatly answered.

"_Well you sound like fun, nice to know."_

"Why did you call?" I asked, a half-hearted attempt to try and turn the tables while I still can.

"_Eh... I was bored too. Honestly I thought this line was going to be someone who tried to have some sort of sex over the phone. At least I got someone normal. I swear, everyone in Kalos can't get enough, at all."_

I felt odd hearing the mention of sex from her, considering it was on my mind prior to this call. I understood now why some people are prudish, it truly was uncomfortable to hear about sex in common conversation. I started to wonder why I even decided to call this line in the first place. Sleep would've been a much better alternative...

"_Well, considering that we're on the phone in this late hour. I'm assuming you're fine with late night eloping. You sound interesting... And Kalos is boring as hell."_

I felt bad for letting Molly carry the entire conversation with myself only giving very sparse answers... If I were to be humorous, I guess I could take the risk of having some sort of human interaction outside of Mr. Scott. It felt incredibly dubious as I thought about making the offer to meet during the day... Sacrificing time to meet someone from a telephone chat line? Logically, it didn't sound right and I was honestly being an idiot about all of this.

"I prefer the daytime and I don't do eloping." I said.

"_Well, that changes things. There's really nothing to do at this hour, considering I'm in the 'nowhere' part of Kalos. All of the good places are probably closed now, because nobody does 24-7 anymore."_

"Where do you live?"

"_Ah, Cyllage City. Well, I don't really 'live' here, I'm on some weird-ass vacation because my family thought I was too much in love with my job, so they made me do vacation hours. They at least had the decency to leave me alone, because I am done having to live with them."_ Molly began to sound more and more tired as she spoke on, exhaustion creeping in.

I balked at the amount of the coincidences between us. What were the chances that the person I'd speak to would also be a vacationer here? I briefly thought of what happened this morning, with my sudden bout of fatigue and increased weariness. I thought of asking Molly about this region, about what happened in Mountain Kalos and whether or not it was true that Kalos was truly in political turmoil. Unfortunately, knowledge of her as a tourist did deflate my hopes. She would likely know just as much as myself, and I didn't want an answer that would essentially command me to do more research.

"You're really... _Out there_, Molly... Are they recording this?" I asked, my voice pausing at inoppurtune parts and some stutters here and there.

"_Thanks? Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised if the people behind this stupid line were recording this. If you're assuming I care about my privacy, I don't give a shit about that. The more you hide, the more transient you are."_

I nodded, not having any sort of response to her statement.

"Well... If you still want to meet..." I tentatively asked.

"_Sure, why not. I'm essentially wasting my life here, might as well waste it with another person's. Where?"_ Molly asked.

"Coumarine."

"_That far? At least Coumarine sounds better... Though how are we going to meet? I don't strike you as the type that would have some sort of social media."_

"I don't." A little white lie, I _did_ have social media, but it's likely long lost by now.

"_One hell of an iconoclast in this day and age then, I'm surprised you say you're 21. I guess it's a date then, though I honestly don't think we'll ever see each other. Too bad we can't see send pictures. Thanks for giving me the excuse to get out of Cyllage, though. My hotel is falling apart and there's nothing to see here."_

"The hotel in Coumarine is nice... There's a cafe at the lobby if you want to try it. I might be there."

"_I guess I might go to Coumarine before noon. Even in the summer, there's still rush hour. Well, if I find you, see you then. If I don't, it was nice talking. Bye."_

The phone line went dead after Molly's farewell. I found myself having to take a few deep breaths from the conversation that had just happened. I glanced at the clock, with it reading _3:00AM_. An hour literally passed by as I had my conversation with Molly. In my sudden state of lethargy, I could barely process what was said, what I had proposed, and what she had agreed to. Did I dream up this whole conversation? Or did it actually occur?

I put the phone back in the charger and set myself off the wall. My mind was blank, unwilling to think. I laid down on the bed and closed my eyes. I felt a sudden anxiety within my chest, a sudden swirl of imaginary air in my chest. My heart felt like it literally dropped. I feared a heart or anxiety attack, but I seemed to remain stable.

I stared at the wall, feeling only emptiness... Even as I closed my eyes, I did not fall into a deep sleep, a sensation in my chest preventing me from doing so. Anxiety never disappeared, and all I could do was stare at the wall as the night drew further. Eventually, it would be morning.

This was one more sleepless night that I didn't want or need.


	3. Passion

"This is luxury, Claude. This car represents what it means to live the high life. It is what you aspire to be and what I, to some extent, am."

I glanced at what he was talking about, a cherry red vintage sports car that looked polished and sleek. I had to admit, it had a good aesthetic and it certainly looked nice, but I did not understand the revelatory tone that Mr. Scott used in description of the car. It seemed a car for a joyride, but luxurious? I've seen far better examples of luxury than what my eyes are seeing.

I nodded along, considering that adding my own dissent would inevitably transform a peaceful situation into something unnecessarily dramatic. However, it was hard to keep attention to Mr. Scott's rambling about the car.

_Just let me get back to the hotel..._ I pleaded to Mr. Scott silently, but it seemed there was no stopping him.

I let my thoughts wander into the events that had happened in the night I had phoned someone in an adult chat line. I remember it with an almost astounding clarity, knowing more details than I had expected and the name of the person who I had talked to. Molly was her name, if I could remember... If there was perhaps one thing that I remembered from her, she was certainly very honest.

I looked back at the car, hearing only silence as Mr. Scott inspected the car. I was surprised that his spiel had ended so soon. I wondered whether or not I could leave the car's premises now. The car agency that Mr. Scott had hopefully rented the car for was near the route exit that one could take on foot. I forgot what number it was, or what it even led to.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Someday, I want you to be the eventual owner of this car..."

I tuned out whatever it was he would say, knowing that it was all false. I had to commend Mr. Scott for trying to bring some enthusiasm, for believing that I would be an entrepenur like he was. However, it was a lost cause. I heard his voice soften in volume as he glanced at me, with him now realizing his statements were falling on deaf ears.

"I guess you're free to go now, then." Mr. Scott merely turned his back and looked at the car.

I made no response as I walked away from the car rental company, relieved that I no longer had to be shackled next to my caretaker. At the same time, I was surprised that he would let me go so easily.

"You are aware that _you _can use this car, right? You can drive it to your heart's content, so long as you don't damage it." Mr. Scott said, successfully stopping me in my tracks.

I honestly had no idea what to do or how to respond to what Mr. Scott had stated about the car. Is he implying that he had rented the car under _my_ name? Or is he trying to lie to me? I was surprised at how direct Mr. Scott was, to the point where he literally said that the vintage red sports car behind was apparently mine for the duration of the vacation. I risked repeating the statement in my head and restating out loud, but it made me suspicious... Normally, when Mr. Scott gave me such large gifts, he would always vaguely term the conditions behind such gifts if I had complete ownership of them. In this case, I can't imagine him not wanting the car, Mr. Scott salivated over its very presence.

Perhaps this was his last ditch attempt to try and provoke my interest. Tempting as it was to ask about his statement of my sudden rentalship of the car, I decided to walk away with no response instead. I'd interrogate him later, though I probably wouldn't be surprised if he ended up forgetting about what was said today when I would ask him about the car. He's always out and about, I'm not even sure when I'll ever see him.

I walked back to the hotel, taking in the sea air while I carried on at a leisurely pace. I thought about the need for a car, considering all the positives and the negatives. I can't assume that Mr. Scott would pay for the maintenance and gas costs, though he can certainly cover it. I would probably only use the rental car to get out of Coumarine City. Beautiful and picturesque as it was, the city was lacking in activities. Though what I'd do outside of this city was another thing entirely and a question that I dared not asking to myself.

As I approached the hotel, I thought to Molly. I wondered if I would meet her today, or if what she said last night of our phone call being our first and last interaction would become true. Internally, I wanted to meet her, if only to break up the current monotony of my vacation. There was a fear of meeting her that came up when I had entertained the thought of doing so. Was I prepared to try and strike up a decent conversation? I wasn't, but at the same time, the monotony was getting to me. It was descending me into a madness, a burgeoning insanity.

I opened the door as soon as I reached the hotel, reminding myself to go to the cafe to make sure I try and put some sort of effort in finding Molly. I was half tempted to go back to my room and forget about everything, plus to also take advantage of room service. I had something of an excuse to grab a bite to eat at the hotel cafe, I hadn't had breakfast this morning. In fact, I don't even remember the last time I had a large, proper breakfast. Though it was more of a yearning than anything, for I had always become instinctually hungry whenever I wake up every morning.

I was hoping that the cafe would offer better food than room service, at the very least something gourmet. I glanced around the hotel lobby, trying to find a sign for it. Even after one week of staying here, the magnificence of this hotel still had a profound effect on me. An effect so strong that it prompts me to silently worship the interior architecture every time I watch it. There was a sort of beauty and elegance to the lobby, a beauty that was not emulated by the neo-retro design of the hotel suite I sleeped in.

Yet, much like the hotel suite, the lobby emanated a nostalgia of an era that has long passed. An era that has been long been forgotten, spurned and scorned by the progression of society and its eternal obsession with pokemon. Much like the airport in Kanto and the nostalgic architecture of Lumiose City, this hotel remained an iconoclast, resisting the all-consuming culture of pokemon that has permeated our society for as long as I was born.

I glanced around the hotel, trying to silence my thoughts and grievances against the world I lived in. After a few moments of glancing around, I found the entrance to Coumarine Hotel cafe. The sign that indicated its entrance, which bizarrely was small and the size of a door, seemed to blend in the cream-colored wall. It took a few seconds to properly see the sign, and I wondered how I must look. Standing in front of the entrance like a buffoon, having a moment of being tormented by my own thoughts, drowning myself in them as if they were a refuge from this world.

I walked towards the entrance, only looking forward as I felt eyes around me. Even though the lobby seemed empty, I felt a sensation of being stalked, that someone was perpetually watching me and tracking my every move. I glanced behind me as soon as I reached the cafe entrance, finding no one except a few persons lined behind the receptionist's desk. I found no relief, though. I hurried on into the cafe, not wanting to look back.

The cafe itself was of an intimate scale, encouraging couples to sit down have a chat. The absence of any tables that would serve a trio only served to cement the fact that there was an underpinning of romance behind the cafe's main selling point. It also felt homely, disavowing the classical architecuture of the lobby of something a bit more familiar, though not so modern that it would completely clash with the outside. Instead yellows and golds, the main pallete was a warm brown, with some maroons mixed in to give a sense of comfort and warmth. Odd for a seaside cafe, it seemed much more suitable for winter.

I sat down on one of the empty wooden tables, feeling unnerved by the cafe's emptiness. The lack of people inside was a bit of a shock to me. There was only one couple sitting in one of the center tables and the cashier in another corner. I would've left immediately if it weren't for the comforting atmosphere. Emptiness in public places has such a profound effect on me, to the point where I let my irrational fears get to me. It's perplexing that, an empty cafe scares me more than my empty hotel suite. Perhaps I just feel more exposed here, more prone to danger or to being killed... Yet who would kill me here?

I set my arms down on the table, my gaze directed towards the unlit green candle on the center. It looked new, perhaps a replacement for an old one? I wanted to touch it for some bizarre reason, but I fought irrationality. I gazed at the wall, with my thoughts starting to drift into various places.

I thought to Molly, wondering how she'd get here, and if she was even here. I felt a bit bizarre for dedicating some of my thoughts to finding this one person that I only barely know. The only indicator I have of her is her voice, and I have difficulties in remembering what Molly sounded like. It was difficult to come to terms with my sudden desire for interaction, though I simply wanted to put it down to mere loneliness. Convincing myself that I was better off alone had gradually started to wear on me and I no longer became convinced of it.

I gandered that the old college try wouldn't hurt, though that's if I somehow come across Molly today. I thought it unlikely to happen, considering that she may have left the town already. I took a deep breath, trying to decide whether or not I should wait an inordinate amount of time for a person that, once again, I barely know. I seemed to have a fondness for bringing up my lack of familiary with Molly. I was tempted to go back to my room and spend the rest of my day sleeping, going on with this vacation until I would be whisked back home.

That would betray the old college try, so I decided to stay put, watching the minutes go by. I tried to count time, though it largely led to me watching the shadows move inch by inch. The couple in the center eventually left, leaving only the lone worker that seemed to manage this entire cafe. I receded and made my presence as minimal as much as I could, feeling a sense of dread in my stomach from the sudden isolation. I glanced at the door in panic, willing for anyone to just come in and eliminate the emptiness of this cafe.

I didn't want to look at the cafe's register, for fear of seeming like an unwelcome figure to the lone worker. I tried to imagine what she felt, standing there until her shift was finished. I can't imagine a sense of calm staring at an empty room, with unfilled tables and chairs. I kept my gaze fixed to the cafe's entrance, the panic refusing to fade away.

I saw a woman walk in with a threatening gait, a youthful yet age-riddled face, brown hair, and a perpetual frown on her face. She looked like she didn't want to be here, or anywhere near this cafe at all. I felt a discomfort looking at her, turning away as soon as I can and looking at the table in front of me. I started to twiddle my thumbs, feeling a slight nervousness and fear from being around such a threatening person. I consciously tried to make my presence as minimal as possible, trying to make sure that she would not notice me. She seemed a threatening figure, a person I wouldn't want to actively talk to.

The silence itself also started to contribute to the compounding dread inside me, with the slight rotation of the fans and the bubbling of heated coffee being the only sources of sounds in this cafe. I heard light footsteps approach the register, who I'm assuming is the stranger that came in. I turned away even further, looking towards the wall next to me and the windows opposite from where I was sitting. I tried to find some sort of peace, a desperate clarity within a quiet anxiety.

"Welcome to the Coumarine Hotel Cafe. How may I help you today?" The worker had asked, a mask of a smile quickly replacing the permament expressionless face she was donning before until the mystery woman had appeared.

"Kalosian flatbread and coffee with sugar, nothing else." The woman responded, taking on a despondent and dismissive tone. It was clear, she did not want to be here longer than she had to be.

There was something familiar about her voice... The way it sounded...

Of course, what are the chances? Having my mind go through the motions of surprise and the thoughts of shock felt counterproductive to me, leaving me with not enough time to truly analyze and make sense of the voice I had just heard. Yet, from the one statement I had heard, there was no doubting that voice. It was indeed Molly, the very stranger that I had 'met' over a phone line last night. At the very least, she was true to her word. She had indeed went to Coumarine in a vain search for me, though perhaps it may have taken a lot of conviction on her own part to visit.

I wasn't sure what to feel at such a revelation. Surprise? Fear? Anger? If I were to be honest, surprise was the best feeling I could attach to my current emotions, and that's with all of the vagueness and sudden emptiness I felt insane. I somehow felt numb and a sudden desire to convince myself that I am merely fabricating this in my own mind, that I have gone insane and this is the indicator that I may be waking up from some sudden coma. It would be such a good escape, to start suddenly convicing myself that the reality I live in was not real.

I didn't want to sound like some superstitious and romantic fool, but perhaps fate played a part. I stopped there, not wanting to go down that train of thought.

I heard footsteps going toward my direction, causing me to look up. I was met with the sight of Molly in person. It was a bit bizarre seeing her in the flesh. Remembering the tone of her voice from last night, its almost gravelly quality yet still sounding just a touch feminine. I imagined a harshness to her, but I did not think that I would feel unsafe from her presence alone. She seemed civil enough, though I feared her bluntness. I tried to glance away, but it was clear that she saw me looking.

"Who are you?" Molly had asked me, seeming not to know me. I was a bit perplexed as to why she wouldn't call me by my name, yet I remembered that she only knew my voice. The expression on her face did signal to me that she clearly was not amused by my sudden stare, and it only served to make the atmosphere around us even more tense.

"Claude." I answered back, sounding more nervous than I wanted myself to be.

I saw her face contort slightly in surpirse and an expression that I couldn't decipher. She looked shocked for one moment, then questioning, and then locked eyes with mine as if I were a being that wasn't supposed to exist in the fabric of reality. I only looked back at Molly, silently wondering if the uttering of my name had caused her mind to snap. It would be amusing, though I was scared of the predicament that she was currently going through and what would happen if her current state was prolonged.

Her mouth started to open slightly, as if to ramble, and then she snapped it shut. Molly focused on my eyes once again, almost locking to my chair just from her stare alone. Just what was she planning with all of this? What was her intent? I'd put it to an internal mental crisis, though that guess was just as good as any.

"You're the person I met yesterday over that stupid phone line, aren't you?" Molly said, then looked at me expectantly.

I nodded slowly. The blunt meeting and question took me by surprise, but this was perhaps her defining characteristic. Even meeting someone for the first time, she bypasses the niceties. I wasn't sure what to say to her verbal greeting, or if I should respond. Behind the phone, I felt far more confident, as she would only be judging my voice. Now, here I was in the flesh, not knowing how to take even herself in my mind. Social interaction, even after all these years, was still an unnecessary pain.

"You're going to speak?" She asked, boring at my eyes as she sat down without one care in the world.

It took me out of my sudden shock, leaving me to finally properly process her being here. I steeled my neverves as best I could and put on my best poker face.

"Yes. I am Claude." I responded.

"Really?... Well, I guess I could believe it. Same voice and everything. You look old as hell though." Molly said, but jerked her head toward the cafe's counter.

"Molly Renfield! Kalosian Flatbread with regular coffee!" It was a different voice this time coming from the counter, a male this time.

I saw her sudden obligation to get her coffee a sudden blessing now. I didn't realize her bluntness even extended towards looks as well. Somehow, I felt wounded from her statement. Old? I certainly don't think of myself as a spring chicken. Even Mr. Scott, someone who was rapidly approaching the advanced ages, made me feel like a senior citizen. Yet, time and time again, hearing things from a person's mouth seems to sharpen the statement. In truth, I felt incredibly affronted, and I felt tempted to fight Molly over what she had said, even though it was as something as silly over what my face looked like.

I heard the clacking of her shoes, signaling that she was nearby. I took a deep breath, telling myself not to take things personally. It's unlikely that I'll ever form a deep connection to her. I just need to get through whatever interaction I will have to face today, and then I am free to lock myself in my suite...

"So, how are things?" Molly asked me, starting the conversation as soon as she sat down.

"Good." I said, twiddling my thumbs as I responded.

There was a bit of silence between us. I had the bravery to look at Molly, and somehow I found her looking at me, as if she trying to analyze the one word I had uttered.

"How are you?" I asked back, feeling her hard stare prompting me to do so.

She shrugged her arms.

"I'm fine. Just been frustrated these past few days. I swear, this region is falling apart. I thought my home region was bad, I mean the city I used to live in did have a riot a few years back..." Molly nearly ranted, having to pause before she would explode in front of an empty cafe.

I internally questioned why she didn't do so, but it is only the morning. The empty cafe still perplexed me, considering that the breakfast options here were okay. I wondered if the sudden emptiness was one of those grand coincidences, but I've never been here until now. The small exit from the cafe made it feel like an entrapment.

"Aside from that, everything's okay."

There was silence as I shifted in my seat slightly, taking in the sudden awkward atmosphere between us. Even Molly herself was unsure of what to say. I attributed it to a connection problem, though the nervous feeling in my chest was tempting me to provoke a talking point.

"Were you... Talking about the riots in... Lumiose?" I stammered, adding unnecessary pauses throughout my question.

"Do you take me for a fool? Of course it's the riots. I don't understand the fuss over the whole 'pokemon are people' shit. I've never been a fan of them and I've never had one. They're just arguing for arguing's sake. No one's getting harmed." Molly snapped, looking at me with a bizarre fervor yet also an irritation.

I felt the nervousness in my chest flare even further, with my body leaning back towards the chair a few times. Perhaps it would be unwise to inquire her further about the riots. I vaguely remember looking at articles that detailed the sudden split of Kalos into multiple regions, but my memory of them is shaky at best, and the best I could rememeber was the existence of breakaway regions themselves was heavily disputed by the reporting media.

"Maybe we could take this to something less harmless. We could always do the elementary school thing. Tell us a little about each other." Molly said, though she had visibly cringed at her last sentence.

"That would be good..." I responded, hoping that it wouldn't result in any more unnecessary silences.

"Guess I'll start off with myself, then. I'm from that little region north of Kalos, that island called Regnas, but I'm technically Unovan too. My Mom's from Unova. Regnas not too far from Kalos, though. It's only a boat ride away. What about you?" Molly started off.

I took a deep breath, giving myself time to come up with a coherent answer.

"I'm from Kanto, vacationing here with my... Caretaker. I like it here. I don't remember my family all that well, though." My voice took a meek tone, sounding far more innocent than I meant to be.

"Huh, lucky. I'd do anything to forget them and live independently for the rest of my life. Kanto, though? I'm a bit surprised you're from there. One thing, you're not a trainer and two, Kanto guys tend to be more adventurous. Then again, there's a lot of business types there too." Molly offhandedly commented, seeming to not have a care for the world as she spoke.

"How... Odd... I was supposed to be here for a business internship, but it never happened." I lamented, feeling a genuine sadness for the supposed 'internship' not actually happening.

"Internship here? In Kalos? I question who you came with. If you want an internship, you should've just went to Unova instead. There's a whole lot of business freaks there. Hell, there's even a university whose really only known for business. Either you or whoever took you here are dumbasses."

_Very coincidentally, that school is also my alma mater,_ I thought to myself. Somehow, I did not feel offended from her harsh choice of words against me or Mr. Scott. Perhaps I should just tell her that I was 'adopted...'

"Anyway, no matter. At least Kalos was your vacation choice. I don't know anyone in my right who'd go to Sinnoh, place is a dump..." Molly spat.

"Why pick on Sinnoh?" I responded immediately after, not understanding her singling out of such a decidedly average pokemon region. I did not know where this sudden bravery came from, or how I managed to become so defensive.

"Surprised you're so defensive over a region. Sinnoh's boring as hell. Really, if you want to meet a whole bunch of uptight assholes and douches, Sinnoh's the region of choice. Their champion is such a priss." Molly ranted.

I nodded, assuming it was Cynthia that she was talking about. I still did not understand her strong fervor of hatred against Sinnoh, but there was something fascinating seeing the passion behind her, even though it was the kind of passion that I would typically turn away from.

"Regardless... I... I remember someone that looked like someone from Sinnoh, if that made sense... He was... I don't remember him well... He was a trainer, but... I don't... I..." I started to ramble, my mind becoming incoherent as it tried to recollect memories that I internally knew were long gone to the void of the forlorn.

"Don't try so hard. He was probably a jerkass in disguise. I probably don't know him. You don't need to get any more older than you are, you're leading yourself to an early death." She warned me, her voice taking on a hard edge that I have not heard from her.

"...How?" I asked.

"Simple. You're damaging yourself mentally. That's all I'm going to say. Unless you want me to make your vacation even more horrible than it is. Ignorance is bliss, I'd at least spare you that."

"Ignorance, please." I answered hurriedly, not wanting to take a chance.

"Well that was quick, though somehow I'm not surprised." Molly took a sip of her coffee, finally.

There was silence between us as she finally fulfilled the primary reason for coming here, which was finishing the drink she brought from the cafe. I felt a great temptation to huff in frustration, to at least try and defend myself. Somehow, I just stayed silent, and I felt my anxiety to an acute degree. It was a minor miracle that I have not mentally fallen apart or even fleed to my room in panic.

"Talking about ignorance, have you ever been to a nightclub?" Molly asked me.

Well there's a random question when one needs one. I shook my head in response.

"Of course... Well, if you want to remain blissful from life. You can always waste your life in a rave. I did that around five years ago, right when I finished high school. It was a lot of fun back then, but then I realized what a waste of time it was. Maybe that's what you need." Molly proposed.

"...I guess." I responded to her proposal. I would dismiss it, but the idea of going to a club...

It sounded so incredibly absurd in my head. Going to a nightclub and dancing the night away. That was exactly the kind of activity I tried to avoid during my own high school years. I thought it to be a waste of time, seeing people walking out of these fancy clubs completely exhausted, wasting time, and doing things that made them unproductive. I thought it to be ridiculous.

Those were my thoughts in the past. It was funny the way I thought now. Getting older made my mind far more youthful than it was when I was a teenager. I wanted to experiment, I wanted to try new things, and somehow I cares less and less about my own life and welfare. As it is said, I wanted to 'live a little.' It all sounds so foreign in my head, the concept of doing things that weren't simply just contemplating life in one singular room.

Regardless, I wasn't sure what else to feel about Molly's proposal. If I wanted to go to a nightclub, where would I go? There certainly wasn't anything here in Coumarine, even though it was a resort town. The only city in Kalos that could theoretically contain a nightclub was Lumiose, and the riots gave me an unshakeable unease in going to the city.

"You might actually consider... I'm surprised, you actually want to live. Anyway, if you really want to go to one, then might as well take a tip from me. Lumiose's Red Plaza, I don't know exactly how they say it in Kalosian, Rouge-something probably, but it's pretty hardcore. Might as well go all the way."

I nodded, resisting the temptation to tell her that she had essentially answered a question of mine that I had not even verbally asked. In truth, there was both a strong temptation and an adverse reaction to Molly's idea of going to a nightclub currently within me. I wasn't sure what to decide. Do I do something so utterly outlandish, so outside of what I typically do? It scared me that such a thing I thought so outlandish, was so typical to other people, and was also once typical of Molly's life.

I wanted roll my eyes at my own thoughts, they had caused so much internal drama into doing something so silly... Yet, that's exactly what my thoughts are doing. I sighed, apparently loud enough to cause Molly to raise one eyebrow and look at me with this probing expression. I couldn't bare her eyes staring into me, for it felt like I was being violated. An uncomfortable sensation lingered in my lower body and I looked away, I did not want to cause any more unnecessary reactions.

Admittedly, I tend to react erratically when people stare at me. I never understood my fear of being looked at. Yet Molly staring at me elicited a far more intense reaction than say, a stranger. It was a type of reaction that felt familiar, especially the reactions associated with Mr. Scott...

"Well, I guess there's nothing else to talk about. What time is it?" Molly asked me, which caused me to look at her direction.

I shrugged my shoulders at her question. I neither had my cell phone or a watch with me.

"Whatever then. It looks like it's getting late. I guess I'll leave then. It was... _Interesting_ getting to talk to you, interpret that however you want. Maybe we'll chance meet like this again. Goodbye." Molly sat up and walked away, her fast pace leaving me dazed for a few moments.

I felt some adrenaline escape me, a weight lifting off my shoulders. I did not know why I felt relief when Molly had left, but after that relief was a strange sadness... I only looked in the direction of the exit, seeing Molly's silhouette fading into the hotel room. The emotions I felt seconds ago only became more intense, leaving me empty. How does one feel hollow yet lonely?

The prison of my emotions only encaged me further in, only reminding me that contemplation would be a dangerous thing today. It sounded a ridiculous and idiotic prospect, but maybe I would indeed take up what Molly had said to me earlier... Raving in a nightclub. I idly wondered why it would be a nightclub of all things. Are there no parties in Kalos? Frat parties? College parties? Or perhaps even just the sudden parties that pop out of nowhere?

The concept of going to one sounded ridiculous to my head, time and time again. I found myself not caring, though. There were no obligations for me in the future, absolutely no obligations.

I stood up, taking a deep breath as I did so. It didn't even have to be in some nightclub. A night out in the town would be good. Tonight, I would be going to Lumiose.

Yes... Yes... I would be going to Lumiose...

* * *

"Are you sure I can borrow the car?"

"Yes, of course! That's what I rented it for, Claude. Now, go on. I have no more patience for questions. Just live a little. Remember, the car's at the hotel parking lot." Mr. Scott dismissed me, waving me off as he turned back on to whatever he was doing.

It was nighttime, with the sky now a dark blue with some visible stars. It was a decent and calming sight, though it did nothing to calm my anxiety. Mr. Scott and I were in the suite, with my 'caretaker' suddenly appearing in the afternoon as I got ready for my little 'night out.' The preparation itself was a bit of an ardouous process, with none of the clothes I brought being suitable for the nightlife. I found one blazer, a red one, and jeans. I took one short glance at the mirror in the way out of my suite, deeming myself to be decent enough.

Before I walked out of the suite, I checked my pockets. I felt for my wallet, phone, and the car keys, all of which were there. At the very least, if I somehow end up lost or dead in my search for some 'fun,' I have my identity with me.

I walked out of the hotel at a brisk pace, rushing to the car as quick as I could. I tried not to slow down, feeling a panic embrace my body as I felt the outside air brush through my clothes. It was rare that I ever walked out in the evening hours. I felt fear, yet the sky was not even pitch black yet. I turned my head left and right, finding the parking lot sign to the left of me. I immediately raced for that sign, searching for the car as soon as I saw the lot, which was situated at the side of the Coumarine Hotel

It wasn't difficult to find, it being one of the few cars within in the lot along with a few others parked at various spots. At the very least, it was parked under a street light. I reached for the car keys as I walked towards the car, pressing the 'unlock' button twice. I looked around me, feeling a sudden paranoia as I held the car door. Its red made it easily visible, even at night. I didn't get a chance to 'admire' the finer details of the car, but it certainly looked like an attractive prospect to a thief.

I opened the car door and seated myself, taking deep breaths and trying to find some sort of relief at the interior lights being on. I hesitated to close it, but had to do so before someone would drag me out of this car. I didn't know what this sudden fear was, or what brought it on, but there was something about walking in the night...

I shook my head and jammed the car keys onto the ignition, not wanting to spend more time than unncessary. My thoughts were disparate, scattered. Hysteria and panic were threatening to overtake me, forcing me to take deep breaths to ensure I won't suddenly drive the car forward in panic.

_Breathe Claude, breathe Claude..._ I said to myself, pleading for my mind to calm down.

I turned off the handbrake and set the car to 'drive,' easing the classic sports car away from the parking spot and into the road. Somehow, driving felt therapeutic, even though I had to be aware of the streets around me. The car was difficult to maneuver, with myself having to be careful with the steering wheel to make sure that sudden oversteer does not occur. My paranoia dissipated into a slight frustration.

_Why couldn't have Mr. Scott gotten a modern car?_ I thought disparagingly as I guided the car onto the road and drove down onto the highway entrances.

I took the exit road marked 'KALOS ROUTE 13-WEST,' speeding the car up as the road merged to the highway. Everything, both the scenery and the passage of time, felt like a blur. In the back of my mind, I questioned if this was the right highway route to go to, but the night sky made Prism Tower even more visible from a distance.

I opened the driver window as I drove down the route, feeling the breeze ravage through the interior. I enjoyed the sensation of the wind on my face, though at the same time I was also glad that this car was not a convertible. Just one window open was enough.

I looked to the side a couple of times, both fascinated and scared by the blur of Kalosian nature that the car was passing. I felt a certain yearning to explore what I could barely see, feeling a certain innocence in such acitivies. In many ways, there was a 'dirty' feeling to what I was planning tonight, but I turned away from the scenery after a few seconds of gazing. The lack of cars also scared me for a few moments, However, the more I drove down route 13, the denser it became.

I squinted my eyes as I got ever so closer to Lumiose. Prism Tower's finer details could be easily seen as I got closer. It even seemed to glow under the night sky, though in admittance the night sky had turned black. I turned to the Lumiose City entrance, looking for a sign that would lead me to red plaza. I slowed down as I got closer, with signs in various colors before the entrance tunnels. I slowed down a few notches as soon as I neared the signs, to make sure I can read and to account for the amount of traffic around me.

I assumed I needed to turn left, as there was a sign in red that said '**ROUGE PLAZA-TURN LEFT/TOURNER A GAUCHE.'** I immediately took the left lane, not wanting to lose it to the cars around me. I found myself suddenly surrounded by a multitude of cars. Even at night, Lumiose traffic was insane.

Car horns filled the air, as did expletives. No doubt I caused one making that lane change to turn left. I closed the window, still hearing the horns emanate in the air, albeit muffled. The tunnel I was in only made it worse, with the sounds reverberating and becoming amplified by the tunnel.

Eventually, there was a movement in trafiic. I got onto the boulevard as fast as I could, turning left and watching for signs that led to Rouge Plaza. As soon as I got onto the large boulevard, I looked for more red signs. I was internally wishing that I had brought with me a navigation system. The city, for all its elegance and beauty, seemed a confusing mess to navigate through. The dense traffic only exacerbated the city's maze-like structure. I felt closed off, isolated within my own little space as I moved inch-by-inch to the next traffic light.

I didn't know how people could get through such traffic without choking or getting frustrated. It would do me no good to explode in anger, I had to concentrate... I saw a red sign as I drove down the circular boulevard, it saying '**QUARTIER ROUGE PLAZA-TURN RIGHT ON AUTUMNAL AVE.'**

This prompted me to look to my right, hoping that the lane next to me was open for a change. To my surprise, it was. Without hesitation, I changed lanes, feeling the sudden inertia hit me and a disconcerted feeling rush through my body. I found myself no longer caring about safety, as soon as I had the chance and space, I sped the car down on the Boulevard and turned right as soon as I hit Autumnal Avenue.

I was faced with a stream of neon lights and loud music seeping through the car windows despite both being closed. I was nearly blinded. For a split second, I saw a car right in front of me and instantly, I had to slam the brakes, feeling my body suddenly jerk forward and my torso nearly hitting the steering wheel. I looked up, the car being far too close for comfort. I had somehow narrowly averted an accident. I breathed in relief...

I looked around, seeing various places of entertainment, even though distraction was probably the worst thing. The further I drove down, the intensity of the lights increased. The left side at least, looked innocent enough. I saw a few cafes scattered, mixed inbetween some Pokemon Boutiques and restaurants. However, my right side was the opposite. Dancehalls and clubs seemed to line the entire avenue, giving off such a strong glow that even the cold asphalt of the road I drove on glowed under the lights of these establishments. It was surreal seeing them, and it hit me then that I would have to choose one to go to.

I can see the truth in Molly's statement of Rouge Plaza, about how it was 'hardcore.' I looked forward, seeing the car in front of me now distant, and then I realized that I was stopped in the middle of the road, with car horns behind furiously honking at me with anger. I lightly pressed the gas pedal to move forward, trying to fight the temptation of stomping on it. I changed lanes yet again, going to the right, in a bid to find parking.

Miraculously, there were empty spaces on the lane I was in. Those empty spaces were empty gaps next to the lane, only with filled with a few cars and parking meters in front. Thus, I quickly grabbed the one closest to me, which was a space in front of a generic building, the one part of the street bathed in relative darkness. I turned right onto the parking space and quickly turned the car off, taking the car keys.

Feeling the night air was a surreal experience. The neon lights of the various clubs, when not shrouded by the car windows, invaded my eyesight and temporarily blinded me. The sound of the air was muffled by the sounds of chatter, hollering, and the excited yelps of people my age. All of it reminded me to lock the car and to pay for the parking space. It was a bizarre to thought process to lead down, but the way the crowd walking down the pedestrian path moved...

I locked the car, jammed the keys down my pocket, and paid for the parking space. Sudden paranoia had forced me to take the most expensive option, parking for a 24 hour period. I was burning money away, but I couldn't risk a cheap parking period and risk having Mr. Scott's car whisked away without my knowledge. It dawned on me now, as I started my short walk amongst the ever so active crowd, that I may be here for longer than I had envisaged.

I kept as far away from the crowd as much as possible and walked at a brisk pace. There was one club nearby me, in fact multiple of them. The sound of beat-heavy dance music filled the air, with the muffled sounds of crowds cheering as the music entered an instrumental breakdown.

The closest nightclub was a place called _Club de Pigalle._ It was on the small side, with the entrance crowd not as packed as I was expecting for a typical nightclub. The club was bathed in red, thanks to its almost blocky and unappealing sign. I waded through the crowd, trying to find the entrance.

The constant screams of excitement was grating on my nerves and the music only got louder as I approached _Club de Pigalle's_ entrance. There was a muscled man, dressed in a black blazer and black dress pants, on the outside, guaring a rectangular door that was seeping various color lights in its small gaps. The man eyed me with suspicion, with his gaze forcing me to recede for a second or two.

"ID." The man said, his voice bellowing even amongst all of the other noise around us.

I scrambled for my pocket, taking out my driver's license from Kanto and displayed it to the man. He eyed it with a suspicious glint, occasionally glancing at my face as he looked at the license. After a minute of contemplation, he made a hand motion that signaled to me that I should put my license away.

"You're good. Don't do anything stupid." The man said, opening the door to let me in, revealing people raving to dance music and the excited howls of the night crowd.

I walked in, not wanting to face the man any further. I felt an instant change of atmosphere, a sensation of being choked overcoming my throat. The lights flashed a mixture of greens, blues, and pinks, all in chaotic patterns that danced with the music. Currently, the music seemed to be in a hook, with the vocalist making some sort of impassioned plea...

I took a few steps further in, trying to get a sense of the club I was in... I felt the beat of the song's breakdown rummage through my chest and the sensation of being shoved by the crowd around me. From what I managed to gather, it seemed that the club was just a dancefloor in the center, a bar on the right side, and tables scattered around the various sides of the room. However, all of the railings glowed under the club lights and the entire room was _packed_ to the brim.

Another breakdown occurred in the song currently occuring, with the crowd exploding into another cheer. I managed to get out of the wave I was in, having to impolitely shove a few dancers away from me. Somehow, I got myself on a decent vantage point behind one of the club's railings that encircled the rectangular dance floor, which was filled to the point where I was unable to see the floor itself.

I tugged at my blazer's lapels, not caring that it may ruin the folding. The heat was unbearable within this club and the amount of people here did not help. There was also an undercurrent of fear as I gazed at the club's interior, with the lights only just bright enough to allow me to see, but not enough to illuminate the entire room. I was still stuck in a darkness, a deliberate darkness that created this fear-like atmosphere and yet, it was meant to provide this 'fun' experience.

I stood there, motionless and lost, while the crowd danced the night away. My feeling of alienation was only amplified when another song was played, causing the crowd to dance with even more fervor. I walked as far away from the railing as much as I could, trying to find a seat that wasn't filled. To my surprise, every inch of the club was now moving along with the music.

The heat only wore me down further as I tried to navigate the crowds. It came to my attention that I was incredibly overdressed for the night out, with no male I had seen wearing a blazer, and I was surprised at how many could get away with revealing so much skin...

"Hey! Hey!" I heard a woman's voice ring through the air, seemingly directed to where I was.

I was tempted to turn around, but I walked away from the woman's voice, not wanting to take the bait. However, I could've swore I heard an expletive, a really loud one being shouted, and somehow it did not ruin the atmosphere of this club. It truly felt like I was in this intense bubble, a bubble so removed from reality that it boggled my mind as to how it even existed.

I tried staying as close to the club's entrance as much I could, in a bid to guarantee myself a quick exit. However, the crowds were rowdier than they were when I came in, with some performing some incredibly _risque_ dance moves.

"Get TURNT!" I heard a male scream, then making this bizarre howling noise which was proceeded by further howls.

I heard variations of what he had said, both men and women shouting such phrases. The constant hollering and shouting was getting to me, leaving me unable to bear the insanity of this club. The beat of the song that was currently playing had also gotten to me, giving me a panicked feeling over my chest, and an excessive amount of adrenaline.

I was sucked into another crowd as a consequence, being shoved around as I felt the bodies of clubgoers grind against mine. I was unable to move myself around, with my movement under the mercy of where the dancers would lead me. I felt my clothes being tugged about, my arms forcefully flailing about as I tried to motion myself towards the club's exit, yet to no avail, I was trapped in this crowd.

"Hey! Let's dance and tear this shit hole apart!" I heard a woman say, the voice sounding oddly familiar...

I was yanked away from my position from my wrist, being faced with a redhead who seemed younger than I was, yet I could barely see her face from the strobe lights that flashed. She remained encased in mystery, with her forcefully controlling whatever I was doing.

Her dancing and grinding against me went on for a minute, matching the intensity of the song, and I could see others doing the same to her. Eventually, she had took a hold of me, seemingly wanting to caress me. I felt a cold chill run through my body as she ran through my back. It came to the point where I couldn't take it anymore, with her hand reaching into regions that I absolutely did not want touched, at all.

"Get away from me! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I screamed through the loud music, with her not complying. I had to forcefully remove her hands and push the people from my back down to the floor by accident.

"You jackass!"

"We were dancing you asshole! Stop being a pussy!"

I didn't care about the sudden barrage of insults, or the suddenly disruption of a 'fun' atmosphere. I couldn't take this place anymore, I couldn't take being out here anymore.

I got out of the crowd as much as I could, shoving people away as necessary. I didn't care about their hurling of insults towards me, I didn't care anymore. They all blended in my mind anyway, I just didn't want to be here anymore.

I shoved the club's door open, feeling the cold air run through my body, not calming it any further. The amount of people had decreased, but there was still a considerable amount walking in the sidewalk. I searched for Mr. Scott's car, seeing it towards my left. I was prepared to run, until I had seen someone who clashed with the typical nightclub crowd. A blonde girl, wearing red-dress like attire with a fox-like pokemon in tow. I was agahst, what the _hell_ was a trainer doing at these parts, especially at this hour!?

"Are you... Alright?" I heard her ask, seeming to have taken notice of me standing in the middle of the sidewalk. I could barely hear her voice, as the music nearly drowned it.

I stepped back, flinching from what she had said and her being far too close for comfort. I wasn't sure whether to scream curses at her or simply ignore her. I feared for her safety being near such places, yet at the same time, I didn't care. I didn't know what to do, only staring at blankly as I desperately tried to breathe my anxiety away.

"Whatever you do, stay away from these places! Just stay away!" I shrieked, then making a brisk walk towards Mr. Scott's car, making sure to stay close to the edge of the sidewalk as much as I could.

As soon as I reached the car, I got in, collapsing into the driver's seat in exhaustion. I put my head over the steering wheel, the anxiety never fading away.

I was falling apart at the seams, not wanting anymore than for isolation within the hotel. I wasn't sure how I was going to drive back, or if I was in the condition to.

In the search for fun, I was left even more of a scattered mess than I was before.


	4. Heaven

Euphoria was an emotion I hardly ever experienced. The feeling of utter bliss and deliriousness seemed alien to my mind. The very thought of experiencing them was met with disgust and contempt. I never understood my hatred for happiness, or why I insisted on remaining a stoic for the majority of my life.

Regardless, my mood was tempered, even though I lay in my bed. I was a still and silent figure, acting as the opposite to the Mr. Scott. I scrambled to bring the sheets over my head, even though it would inevitably become a fight between covering my whole body or exposing my feet. I desperately needed to mute the noise that was my caretaker, who was moving about the suite in an unusually loud fashion and had shouted in an excitement that he couldn't seem to hide.

His footsteps disturbed the silence I longed for, even as I had just awoken from my sleep. As pleasurable as the sensation of closed eyes felt, the barrage of noises made it impossible for me to lull myself into another deep sleep. It felt far too early to me, with my arms refusing to pull the covers away even though I needed to in order to properly breathe.

I slowly opened my eyes, feeling a sudden headache come to life, and was met with the color of white fabric. I slowly pushed it away, even though my arms refused to cooperate. I had managed to push the blanket away from me, revealing that the sun had fully risen, though there was a hue to the sunlight's reflection and shadows that suggested it was not yet at high noon. I sighed at what I had seen, feeling utter annoyance and petulance at being awake at this time of hour.

The headache, though not severe, only got worse as I sat up. I held my head as I tried to make sense of my currently blurry vision. I reached for my eyes, trying to get rid of the dry crumbs that I could pricking my eyelids. It cleared my vision slightly, allowing me to see rest of the bed and the floor beneath it. I then put my head up, meeting only the sight of the bedroom closet. Whatever the sound was, it wasn't in this bedroom.

I was tempted to lie down and just close my eyes to let time pass, but I felt my consciousness unwilling to let itself as sleep. As tired and drowsy as I was, I had broken the threshold of being asleep, and trying to go back to bed now would only result in further frustration.

With that in mind, I shoved the blanket away from my legs and got off the bed, stretching my arms out of habit. I still felt traces of exhaustion and soreness throughout my body, though it felt more like I had a bizarre version of a hangover. The headache refused to subside completely, though it felt far more manageable and far less painful. I looked at the blinds, seeing them closed. I was tempted to open it, but the strands of light hitting my face caused an uncomfortable sensation.

I walked out of the bedroom, finding myself in the central hallway that had connected all the rooms in the suite. I took a few steps into the hallway and into the living quarters, where I saw Mr. Scott watching TV, with one arm stretched out over the couch. His hair seemed to be oddly coiffed and he looked to be wearing a suit. I questioned his attire and his way of style, especially so early on in the morning.

Mr. Scott turned around, seeming to have noticed my footsteps. He turned around with a bit of a smug smile, which disappeared as soon as he saw me. His mouth was agape slightly, as if he was going to say something. I idly wondered what caused such a reaction, though it was probably my morning appearance.

"Good morning, Claude..." Mr. Scott greeted me, adding an unnecessary pause before he said my name.

I nodded, not willing to speak at all. It was usually customary of me not to respond to Mr. Scott's greetings, but a bizarre sensation in my throat left me unable to formulate even basic sounds. It felt like I could speak, but the sounds that would come out of my mouth would be a hoarse, croaky voice. I seem to lack the willpower to even try to clear my throat.

I hesitated on sitting next to him. Against my butter judgment, I sat on the empty couch next to the one Mr. Scott was sitting on. I didn't know if it caused consternation within him, and I lacked the ability to properly be concerned at such. Whatever consternation that my presence would have produced, Mr. Scott did not show it. Though there was distance between me and my caretaker, this was a far closer proximity than what I was normally comfortable with. Yet, even this close, though I was not physically directly next to him, there was a distance to Mr. Scott. A short glance at him showed a smug smile on his face, a confidence I had not yet seen in quite a long while. I didn't understand what brought the unusually good mood on, or why he even was.

Mr. Scott caught me looking at him, and I simply looked away. I pretended to be interested in the currently inactive television, which was only showing a reflection of myself and Mr. Scott. I couldn't escape his expression, his sudden good mood. From the tinted black of what I could see, he had turned to me.

"Had fun last night, didn't you?" Mr. Scott suddenly said in a teasing voice.

I didn't respond, though my headache flared up again. My memories from last night, of which I am currently at odds to repress, had came up again. I only remember the pulsations of that nightclub I had visited, the rhythm nearly disrupting my heartbeat, the large amounts of people... It was the large amount of people that bothered me, and a memory... Another memory that I refused to remember, causing a sudden reaction within inside of me. No, I wouldn't remember, I will not remember. No, I will not.

The obsession with clubs was now lost on me. I honestly didn't understand how people could stand such experiences. How people could stand such... Loudness.

I resisted trying to cup my head as much as I could, though it had come to the point where I had to arch my back to try and calm the searing headache. My mind was shot, a scatter-shot of thoughts, memories splayed out, pulsations playing themselves in my mind, affecting my heart. It was both vague and detailed. It felt like I was back there, in that club, seeing the strobe lights hit my eyes as momentary respites from the darkness.

"It's clear to me that you're not in the best of moods, are you? How odd." I heard Mr. Scott speak once again, the third time prompting me to turn at him.

I didn't know what or how to respond to him. A snippy quip, calling him captain obvious. It all seemed such easy ways to make fun of him, though my sudden face-to-face contact with Mr. Scott had me drawing blanks. There were no thoughts in my mind, just a simple 'why.' Why would he say something so obvious when I am clearly not in the best of moods? He has seen my headaches, my silent frustrations. Why did he call them odd?

I am at the point of no longer understanding anymore. Confusion is now perpetual to my state of mind.

"I elicited a reaction, it seems. Claude, I feel great. I feel like I can do anything, I'm on top of the world. I feel stronger, so much more refreshed. I wished you were feeling like I did right now. I'm living the life. All of this, Claude. All of this luxury. Yet, you're under the clouds. I don't understand." Mr. Scott had ranted, stretching his one of his arms and making himself look artificially larger, as if he were taking up more space.

_I don't understand._ I replied mentally, nearly screaming at him with my consciousness. Though I only turned away at his little diatribe, not wanting to respond.

In truth, this excess was convenient, but satisfaction was lost on me. There were many things I didn't understand, even though they were my facts of life. Mr. Scott's obsession and ease of satisfaction with the material being one of many things I never understood. I felt a certain sense of shame and dread as I compared it to a concept in my mind that I've used as buzzwords to impress those who I had admired, concepts that I've written in the past to make myself seem a more intelligent person. This suite, this hotel even, and let's even bring Coumarine City into it too. This was Mr. Scott's heaven, and by way of that, this was also my hell. It felt less like hell and more like purgatory. I felt no attachment to this place, no sense of identity. This was simply put, the lone place in this region that I can sleep in without violating laws, norms, and customs.

"There are certain people in this world that I'd think you should follow as an example, with most as an example. There was one person who... Oh, I can't remember him. I think he's in Kalos now, and I know he's famous, but... Oh, you may not like him, considering what he does. I know you have an aversion to the professions that deal with pokemon. Yet, he's clearly living more his life than you are, if anything." Mr. Scott continued, after some considerable silence from his previous statement.

Who was this 'he?' was he talking about? Certainly not a businessman, though I wouldn't be surprised if he was. Yet, his statement of him being a worker of pokemon. My mind went to multiple conclusions, yet this 'he' was _younger_ in age, than me. Who was Mr. Scott to think that I would look up to someone who was younger than me? Certainly, I am not trying to discount the experiences of teenagerhood, the wiseness of someone who has yet to seen the boring tediousness of monotony of adult life, but to follow as an example? As much as Mr. Scott is desperate to recapture his own youth, even he must understand that we must let go of it eventually. Is he trying to invite me to be more young? To be more alive? Why?

I sighed involuntarily, aghast at what Mr. Scott had said. Feeling a sudden affront, a strong feeling of inadequacy and shame. I stopped my mind from going down those tracks as soon as I got the inkling of those feelings.

"I truly wish you could feel the same I do, this peace. Kalos truly is paradise..." Mr. Scott ended his rant with reverence, with him looking at the window that had a wide view of the Kalosian sea, brimming under the sunlight.

"Well, I guess I am best off now. Oh, I know you're not a fan of outdoor excursions, but I am taking a speedboat through the Kalosian Channel. It's only a rental, before you start accusing me of being wasteful. Those Kalosian waters are really something and I kind of want to see a little bit of this region's neighbor, of course as far as they're willing to allow me to without getting arrested. What's was it name? Reg... Regna... Reg something. So, do you want to go boat riding with me or not?" Mr. Scott asked, prattling until he finally got to the point.

I mulled it over... Boat riding. It didn't sound a horrible prospect. It would only be just riding a boat and seeing the endless miles of the sea, albeit while getting splashed against water. Though I would be with Mr. Scott, alone, and perhaps for hours. It made me hesitant on going on that boat ride, but a minuscule part of me wanted a release... A release from this suite, a release from being confined to this little space, a release from this city... The sea seemed calmer, more relaxing. It was a chance, a chance that I was both willing and unwilling to take. I looked to him, though I was too afraid to look at Mr. Scott's eyes directly. I was reminded of the decision I made to go to that nightclub... Perhaps this would be different. That difference is what I hoped for.

"I'll... Y-yes... Yes I'll go..." I spat out, stammering when I said my confirmation. It was a yes not out of confidence, but of desperation, a last minute decision. Even as I hoped for difference, I had meant to deflect my confirmation and tell him that I would announce it later. Yet, I had said yes. I said yes, out of desperation.

"Oh, okay. I'm... Surprised. Meet me at the port at five in the afternoon, when the sunset begins. I will call you by cellphone. Okay then..." Mr. Scott responded in surprise, seeming rattled that I had actually spoken and responded.

I only turned away from him, with my eyes looking toward the view of the Kalosian waters. I could the shuffling or Mr. Scott's footsteps, with them getting lighter at each passing step. The door had opened and then shut closed, a signal that I was now in isolation here. Alone, with only the view of the sea to keep me truly entertained.

I looked at the water, with only the window and the land separating me from it. A sense of loss came over me as I looked at them, a loss that felt reoccurring during this vacation, a loss that I could never figure out. What exactly did I lose? What brought on these repeating feelings? These questions were left unanswered and I lacked any ability to truly address them. The feeling of loss this time around felt stronger, actively impacting my chest and forcing me to caress my own body as a form of self-comfort.

Maybe no explanation was truly needed and that loss is a part of my life just as much as fear and discomfort. Regardless, it was a part of life that I sought no enjoyment over. I wanted this feeling in my chest to go away, this need for comfort and nurturing. The desire for reassurance radiated ever so strongly within me, never fading as I took in the beautiful sight of the water. I came closer to the window, placing one single hand on it, expecting darkness to come over me as I admit defeat to my emotions.

The water slowly moved across in various directions, distracting me only for seconds. These emotions, extreme emotions, were familiar to me. I did not want to word them, for fear of sudden reactions. I kept my one hand on the window and steadied my vision on the water.

I ceded defeat to my emotions, feeling empty as I let myself stare endlessly into the seas, wishing that I was a part of those waves. A ceaseless cacophony of movement, apathetic to the world around them. I wanted, no, desired to be that.

In this moment, I am lost.

* * *

I felt my skin being caressed by the gentle summer breeze as I stared out into the sea. The water glimmered under the setting sun, offering a dance of small lights as they reflected off of the sun. It rose up and down gently, giving me a small sense of warmth and contentment that I have unknowingly yearned for. Making me feel certain that, for all the pain that life offers me, there are things in nature that are bound to occur. Processes so peaceful, so alluring to the human eye. It reassured me in some odd way, even though I play no part in such natural processes.

I stood stationary as I took in the wide view of the sea, standing in my own little corner in the bluffs located near the hotel. This was a view far superior to the one in the suite I lived in. Feeling the air in my face, the air both warm and inviting, was a pleasurable experience. The water itself was a lighter shade of blue than what I was used to seeing. There was a transparency to the water, which led me to believe that from this distance, that I could see through it. It was a far more pleasing sight than say the waters in Kanto or Unova. Which were a darker shade of blue and looked polluted.

Looking down beneath the bluffs was something I dared not to do, seeing as I had an aversion of heights. I was surprised that this patch of the Coumarine Hotel was not fenced off or restricted. I had managed to walk here without being stopped by staff, though it was difficult to come across staff outside of the hotel if one was being fair. The bluff I had been standing on was one of the many patches of nature untouched by civilization, of society. It was a contrast to the classical hotel, the blades of grass growing against the beautiful architecture of the hotel's exterior.

I was once again taken by the sight greeting my eyes, with the sun finally setting over the horizon and reflected lights on the water moving almost a chaotic harmony. Even as I have been staring at the sun and seas interacting with each other for the past hours, watching the sunset had made it at even more breathtaking sight. The orange sky was at the right shade of orange, enough to herald a welcoming sight and indicate that it was afternoon. I had typically associated setting skies to the end of the world, to the end of all safety, but what I had seen today was the opposite.

I eventually turned away from the sight, feeling a sudden desire to take a small walk towards the marina, which looked like a small patch of white columns when looking at the place from the bluffs. Going down that train of thought, I was suddenly reminded of my little excursion with Mr. Scott, of how he would take me boat riding across the Kalosian channel. I felt my heart drop slightly at this realization, though at the same time, it also gave me a small relief. A relief that my day was filled with something instead of the constant emptiness that I had grown used to. A constant emptiness that was slowly driving me to insanity, to a sudden sadness that I seem to find myself unable to get out of as the vacation progressed.

I tugged at my sleeves, feeling them start to beckon an annoying sensation on my arms. There was a small tinge of regret at bringing something long-sleeved to a boat ride, especially if it was also thin and white. Regardless, I just folded both sleeves and began my walk towards the marina, finding my way back onto the main road.

The town itself felt far more relaxing in the afternoon, with the orange glow of the sun giving off a far more homely and welcoming feel to the buildings than the bold, colorful look that I had seen when the sun was out in full force. I walked at an incredibly slow pace, looking at the small amount of people that were walking around me. Everyone seemed so much more relaxed at this hour, so much more carefree. In a sense, I was affected by that sudden slowness of being at this hour. I wanted nothing more than to relax, to erase my thoughts and escape to my own little nirvana.

I was guided by the signs leading to the port, though I felt my pace crawl to a lurch as I watched the setting sun. The orange glow of the sky truly was something to behold. There was a childlike wonder as I looked at the sun slowly crawl down over the horizon, beckoning the time of night. This was a time to be savored, to remember. I had to remind myself that such phenomena is typical and occurs every day, it wasn't special and it certainly won't be breathtaking the next time I see the setting sun. Yet, I wanted to release myself from such thinking, to just let myself take the mind of a curious being.

I became hesitant to reach my conclusion, the marina in which I would depart temporarily Coumarine and explore the waters via speedboat. I wanted to walk around here until night, which was when I would inevitably go back to my suite and perhaps even forget about what had happened. Yet, I had willed myself to the marina, finding my feet instinctually taking me there as I inched further and further away from the bluffs.

I felt a vibrating sensation near my thigh, and it took me a few moments to realize it was my phone. Ah, Mr. Scott must be getting impatient. I grabbed the phone from my pocket and answered, not bothering to check the screen to see who it truly was.

"_The boat is ready. Meet me at the marina now. See you soon."_ Mr. Scott stated, hanging up as soon after he finished talking.

The bubble of limited happiness had popped as he hung up. His harsh tone of voice through the phone pierced me more than it usually did. It wasn't an affront that I had felt, it was a bizarre mental hurt that reverberated through my mind, reviving thoughts that I had thought were dead long ago. I sighed slowly, feeling a slight pain course through my body as I felt my heart drop. The orange sky didn't look so orange to me anymore, even though it remained orange. I saw no more beauty in the sky, no more beauty in this little city.

There was a disturbance in the atmosphere that I had perceived when I walked towards the marina. The pavement had switched from being dirt to cobbled, signaling that I was here already. I searched for signs of Mr. Scott, finding people that were remarkably similar walking around and managing the boats. I found two speedboats to my left and a few mini-yachts just farther away from where I stood. There was a change in the air in this little marina, with the air tasting of the water, a liquid sensation as I breathed in and out.

"Claude." I heard a voice to my left, and turned to see Mr. Scott walking to me with this bizarre expression on his face. It was unreadable, a fact that had silently annoyed me. I tensed and merely stared at him as he got closer, with my mind not knowing what to expect from him.

"Come on, don't just stand there, you'll annoy the pretend sailors." Mr. Scott motioned me on and I blindly followed him to the boat.

I didn't understand what Mr. Scott's comment was, or why he even said it. I looked around the port as we walked towards the speedboat, seeing one of the mini-yachts that was currently departing. The boat was facing north, and on it was a boy or man who was only transitioning to adulthood, much like I was a few years ago. It dawned on me that of all the people on that departing ship, he was the only one I could see, and see clearly. There was a sense of isolation in him, a slumped look on his figure even though he tried to appear ready for work. The skin, though tan and imperfect, was perfect in its bizarre way. There was a confusing aura about this boy or man as I tried to examine him, but as soon as Mr. Scott and I reached the marina, the boat was gone. Off to the unknown waters in the same direction that I would go in.

The boat that Mr. Scott would be using looked a bit rudimentary, a bit unimpressive. It certainly wasn't the speedboat of dreams that I had seen on TV, which looked sleek, shiny, and had these majestic spoilers that sprouted from the back. I saw Mr. Scott grimace as he glanced at it, but he looked at me, motioning for me to get on. His eyes were focused on the horizon, giving me the impression that he himself wasn't fond of the boat we would ride on.

I did as he wanted me to, and got myself on the boat. It didn't go without some sort of struggle, as a balancing problem led me to fall on the boat and I nearly fell on the water. Regardless, I was safely on the boat and I sat at the passenger seat, feeling even more acutely the watery air around us. I was unused to being around the water for a longer period of time, and I was especially unused to being within the middle of the water. A lone enclave of the product of land.

I saw Mr. Scott get on the boat with a touch more finesse than I did, though the way he landed pushed the boat's aft side a lot more downward than I was comfortable with. He had nearly sunk the boat, or at least the sensation of the boat being pulled upward was close to that. The boat steadied itself after a few seconds of rocking about, with the water around us foaming and reacting accordingly. Mr. Scott sat on the left from where I was, and he had started the boat.

The engine's roars signaled the boat coming to life, and I felt the sensation of the engine's rumbles beneath my feet. I set my arm on the side, looking to my right and into the sun, seeing it set down every so slowly. The boat gently moved forward, inching away from the marina. I looked back at the sight of Coumarine and consequently, the region of Kalos itself. I felt a wistfulness seeing the region of Kalos get gradually smaller, even though the boat has yet to reach its peak speed.

The boat ramped up its speed, forcing me to look forward or else I end up with an incredibly sore neck. I held on the boat's window as the boat accelerated, creating these occasional splashes that nearly touched Mr. Scott and I, but never truly reached us to the point where we were soaked. I felt an increased moist, especially around my hands. There was a bizarre rush seeing the water around zoom by and with the splashes just getting larger and larger. I felt my heart pump at an accelerated rate, even within all of this supposed tranquility of nature, we were disrupting it. Disrupting the gentle waves and creating it with the boat.

I looked back to Kalos, now a smaller figure of land than what I had seen minutes ago. Mr. Scott and I were not too far from the Kalosian mainland, though I could see the vague outlines of a few cities. I saw few masses of land sort of jutting out as I surveyed the ever shrinking land. It reminded me of the enlarged map of Kalos I had seen when I was immersed within the internet, examining the political drama of Kalos. Unlike other regions, the Kalosian landmass was shaped like a star, an oddity to nature's rules. Of course, by way of being nature, the star wasn't a perfect conformation, but the way the Kalosian land was sculpted was in itself beautiful. Both imperfect yet perfect in its imperfections.

Of course, I eventually had to look ahead before I felt my neck starting to hurt. I wondered Mr. Scott would be taking me. I had a general idea, as he did mention beforehand that we were going to skirt close to a neighboring region of Kalos. I glanced at him, turning to my right, with the political drama on the forefront of my mind. Did he know of what was going in the region? Did he know why those riots in Lumiose happened? Riots that, to this day, remain unexplained? I tried looking away from him, focusing on the sight of the water hitting the boat as we slightly went up and down, resisting the weak waves of the Kalosian channel.

The boat ride felt neverending. Even with the boat's speed, it felt like we were never truly leaving Kalos. I looked to my back occasionally, seeing Kalos just there, getting ever so smaller as we went farther from it. Yet, perhaps the one thing that scared me above all was that Kalos never seemed to disappear even as the boat kept going at its peak speed.

The speed that was fast but felt slow was not what was truly bothering me, it was the persistent silence between Mr. Scott and I that has lasted ever since we got on the boat. I felt a silent anxiety overcome as he controlled the boat, concentrating only on what was in front of me. There was no small talk, no asking of how one's day was. Just a continuing the silence that both relieved and wounded me. I didn't understand my overreaction to this normative silence. Most car rides with Mr. Scott were exactly like this, with myself just looking around while he merely carried on with the vehicle's operation. I looked away, trying to find comfort in the waters around us, the sun, and the sky.

How can you find comfort in processes that are themselves persistent? Always there, always going to happen, and in a sense, never going to end. It sounds so absolute in my mind, so absolute that it's illogical. In the world of academia, I was taught to never believe in absolutes, to never believe in the words 'always' and 'never.' Yet, that's what I was surrounded with. Things that I have seen yesterday, things that I have seen today, and things that I will see tomorrow.

I rested my arm on the boat's right side, leaning my face towards the rising window which peaked at the center, acting as sort of an ineffective windshield. I lavished the sensation of the wind breezing against my face, with my hair just lashing about in the strong winds. Being so close to the water meant the air was just a bit more uncomfortable to breathe in, but I didn't mind. I found a peace leaning against the boat, seeing the water zoom right past us and the foamy white that the boat had created as it raced across the Kalosian channel. There was a sense that I would get lost in what I was seeing, that I would get lost within this nature. A nature that I would not be able to sustain myself in, of course. Yet, I felt a bizarre clarity seeing the water. I was reminded of my moment in the hotel hours before this, of the small moment of peace I had felt before I gave way to my emotions.

The boat's rumbles began to gradually subside as I saw a small land formation in the distance. It was a formation so incredibly tiny, that intense concentration was a required to actually be able to see it visible. I looked behind me, seeing Kalos as a small mass in the distance, just a mass of dark colors that tainted the waters in which we were on. I turned back to my front and looked to the left, seeing Mr. Scott start to prepare the boat for slow down. I shifted in my seat at such a fact, I wasn't sure at how to deal with the fact that we would be so far from land, stationary between two regions. It hadn't yet hit me until now as to how unsafe this excursion was, how foolish and almost suicidal it was.

Death had been the farthest thing from my mind throughout this whole ride, though now it was brought to the forefront of my perpetually conflicted mind. I could feel an acute anxiety building in my chest as the boat's speed was gradually being reduced, crawling to an eventual stop. A sudden wave of unneeded emotion swept over me, forcing me to take deep breaths that were audible. I willed for my mind to control my emotions.

_Breathe. Breathe. Just breathe._ I repeated to myself, emblazoning it as a mantra and making it my creed.

The boat had finally gone to a stop, the engine's sound no longer acting as a protective barrier between myself and Mr. Scott.

The boat just floated on the water, just inching towards the landmass that was distant to the north. I looked at Mr. Scott, seeinging him plopped back on the seat, his arms crossed behind his head, and soaking in the view. I stayed in my nearly submissive pose, shoulders hunched, arms clasped together, and looking down on the boat's dashboard. I turned slightly away from Mr. Scott, an encoraching feeling of threat and fear registering in my mind. There was this sudden fear of sitting next to him in a quiet place, with only the sounds of nature filling our ears.

"See that region over there? It looks so tiny from here, but it's something to behold. I finally remember its name, Regnas." Mr. Scott said, grabbing my attention.

He wasn't looking at me when he had talked, his eyes only locked onto the patch of land that had looked black due to the sunset. I tried taking a closer a look at it, though the way the land was structured looked foreign to me, too unsymmetrical and jagged. The way his eyes seemed to be enraptued just by this patch of land that we could barely see, the way he seemed to almost worship and revere it both relieved and scared me. It relieved me as he was distracted, unable to focus his attention on me and put me under an intense scrutiny. I would not have to feel as if I was being violated, with my privacy safe. What scared me was that same exact reverence, though it was harder to find reasons as to my fear...

It came down to his identity and how, minute by minute, I seemed to losing the idea of who Mr. Scott was. As much as I'd like to delude myself that for years of living with him, I knew how he thought, how he operated, and what he would do next. There were things somehow dawning on me now that were on the back of my mind all these years, just waiting for the right time to strike. By some stroke of luck, they had to be now. I was operating under assumptions about Mr. Scott that, time after time, were somehow correct.

I was in the realm of the unknown, my thoughts becoming scattered, my heart beginning to race in anxiety.

I wanted to think through this sudden crisis of thought, but there were so many things that my mind was preoccupied with that I wasn't sure how to process everything. It was a cruel irony that I would become so fragile in a recreational activity, a damn boat ride. I didn't understand, I didn't understand anything.

I had to look away from Mr. Scott to regain whatever sort of sanity and emotional control I had left. I repeated the mantra of overreaction in my head. I tried to convince myself that this was my mind simply playing games, my mind wanting to elicit some intense emotion, and by way of doing so, was concocting these insane thoughts in my head. I took a deep breath, just fixing my eyes on the direction of the island, not even focusing on the land anymore. I began to look into space, staring at the land and not acknowledging it.

"Dozing off?" Mr. Scott suddenly said, pulling me out of my temporal relief and causing me to nearly gasp.

I looked at him instantly, finding my chest just rapidly beating in panic. I wasn't sure how to respond and I felt my mouth agape. I tried to control myself, and I kept whatever potential hyperventilation could've happened at bay. I only nodded to his question.

"I see... You were awfully silent on this boat ride, and even on a bit on edge. Care to explain?" He nonchalantly asked, declining the seat and, as soon as it was low enough, set his feet on the boat's steering wheel.

I didn't respond, only turning away, a strong peturbance arising from the question. I felt a sudden hollow sensation on my chest, followed by a pain that was dulled, and a feeling of nearly falling. It was a familiar sensation, one I normally associated with when I was ever feeling extreme durress. I tried to think about Mr. Scott's question, but the question had unsettled both my mind and my emotions even further.

I had an incomplete answer formed, but as I looked up to try and attempt at answering, I saw Mr. Scott looking away without a care in the world, with his arms crossed against the back of his head. A small smile on his face as the sun shined on him, the exact opposite of what I was. The way it was framed, with the sunset on his side and not mine, made the scene look idyllic. Bizarrely enough, the sight of it was picture perfect, just begging to be framed and made into a permament memory.

This made me think back to what I had thought this morning, but perhaps there was a much more acute sense of truth to those thoughts now than what they were earlier. I was surprised I could remember them so clearly, but my mind weirdly kept thinking back to the dichotomy between heaven and hell as I tried to formulate my answer for Mr. Scott. It wasn't the heaven or hell that I was born and raised with, it was the heaven and hell that is personal to us. What we perceive, in our lives, to be heaven and hell.

I wanted Kalos to be my heaven, the one paradise in which I could finally rid myself of my personal demons. It wasn't what I had gotten. At best, it is a mere purgatory in which I exist as a being living through the motions. At worst, it is a place that only brings new horrors to my mind and, sometimes, reminds me of the horrors that I have tried to forget.

Maybe that I was just angry that Mr. Scott had it so easy here, but when going down that line of thought, there was no sense to that line of thinking.

I thought to my disturbed nature throughout this ride and consequently, through the entire vacation. Perhaps it was myself? I played with the thought, that I was the source of my own lack of peace in the time I was in Kalos. There was a sense of avoidance when I continued to elaborate my thoughts further, with a part of my mind not desiring to bring it to its logical conclusion.

I heard the seat shift slightly and the boat's engines coming back to life. I held on the boat's window edge once again, holding onto it as the boat made a 180 degree turn back to Kalos. We were going back to the hotel.

I couldn't escape the feeling of unsettlement in my heart that continued to grow. A growing unsettlement that made my earlier anxiety seem small.

I looked down to my hands again, finding them clasped and near my chest.


	5. This is Salvation

_Terminal... Terminus..._

Those were words that went through my mind as I sped down the Kalosian highways, in the direction of Lumiose City in the broad daylight. Cars whizzed past me as I put my foot down on the pedal, seeing the blurs of family vans, sports cars like mine, and those who were driving at a mortally slow pace. I was the extreme opposite, speeding, driving at a speed that would instantly end my life if I were to collide with someone. It was so odd to me, potentially ending my life this way. It felt so... _Normal_, such a normal way to die in a fantastical world. The road ahead of me, paved in gray concrete and worn over through years of cars driving over it, there was no sign of Pokemon in the skies, or in the ground. This road was so secluded from the path that trainers went through, it felt quite like another world entirely.

I slowed down once the road transitioned to the approach to Lumiose, giving me time to reflect why I was even here, despite the political turmoil occuring in the region and with Kalos' capital being the centerpiece of such conflict. Forming my motives for going here was difficult, even when I made the snap decision to come here. I felt 'pulled' by the city, I felt the urge to just sit at a random cafe and just people-watch. A bizarre urge, I'm very sure, but I don't know why I wanted to do so...

I entered the city proper through the highway exit that corresponded roughly with the entrance to route 13, feeling a different atmosphere from the open, and almost deserted valleys of Kalos that surrounded the invasive freeway. With no plans here, I was left aghast of what to do, so perhaps I could waste some gas...

I decided to take a route opposite from what I took when I first came here, hoping to perhaps find a convenient cafe or even a hotel to stay in. I needed to at first get as far away from Rouge Plaza as much as I could, though a nagging voice inside me reminded my brain that I would inevitably visit that place again. A part of me yearned to go back and be carefree once more, to face the 'danger' of letting my inhibitions go... I... _I should've done more... I should've..._

I silenced those thoughts as I nearly collided with another car, turning right into a small ave whose name I didn't catch. I saw the angry face of the driver, a woman driving a black car, with another person next to her... A teen? I wasn't sure, but there was no time for apologies as I heard a short stream of angry yells in Kalosian, and inevitably the session of honking horns. I clasped my hand to my chest as I momentarily stopped, feeling anxiety take over as I glanced at the woman, who was not in her car anymore and approaching mine...

_The car is still running... The car is still running_...

I saw her approach my car, ever so slowly. There was no malevolent look on her face, despite the anger and annoyance in her expression. I had nearly ended both of our lives, and I wasn't sure if... If I... I stopped my thinking right there and then as I set my foot down on the pedal, readying myself to floor it if it was ever necessary. I saw her going closer, clearly ready to shout out at me. I tried looking away, but the anger in her eyes froze me in my position. I should be moving, traffic was being jammed and the horns were just getting louder and louder... Was someone calling police?

The moment we made direct eye contact, when she finally reached my window, was when I saw her eyes shift. The anger in her eyes faded momentarily, as she was looking at me intently, at my eyes. Why was she looking at me this way? I wanted to ask her, but a darker expression overcame her face after a few seconds of looking at me. The anger from earlier seemed miniscule and petty. She seemed to _recognize _me, almost. Yet I did not know her, nor do I remember her. A face, framed with brown locks with eyes that could be both gentle and threatening. That was the only thing, aside from fear, that came through my mind as I looked at her.

Malevolence went through her face, and a fleeting suspicion came over me that perhaps she wished to see me dead. I floored it immediately, feeling the wind of the sudden increase of speed hit my face, and the whizzing forms of the Lumiose City buildings and other drivers. I slowed down my car as I approached Prism Tower, I had already enough attracted attention to myself. A bright red, classic sports car, clearly valuable, was speeding down Lumiose City after nearly colliding with another car. I did not expect my day visit to Lumiose City to turn out like this, to have my life in danger.

I remembered parts of my flimsy, original motive, but the roundabout was clogged, forcing me to concentrate while I drove. I circled around, with some of the roads to the other plazas that faced the west side of Lumiose City barricaded off, with clear roadblocks being guarded by what looked to be a police force, with clearly powerful Pokemon next to them, such as garchomp, talonflame, and some others I didn't recognize. The sight of those made me panic slightly, and I looked to the Prism Tower. There were some people near the Pokemon gym... Who?...

It was the protestors from when I came here for the first time, but I could only see a glimpse of them as I heard more honks. They were clearly shouting at the barricaded streets, directing their anger at the guards and their Pokemon. I turned my attention back to the road, I had to get out of this roundabout, the pandemonium of cars... I slammed my foot on the pedal, accelerating the car as I turned my steering wheel to the right, exiting out of the damned roundabout and entering some random avenue.

The buildings began to blend, the architecture of old and new that once seemed so inviting and pleasing to the eye meshed together to form this hopeless hue of gray, a gray that heralded a storm approaching to the region, despite the gray being illuminated by an awfully clear day. My hands were gripped on the steering wheel as I tried to identify any street cafes. As I drove down the street, I spotted one called _Cafe Gallant_. I looked behind and began to slow the car down, making a sharp parallel park as I turned off the engine in a rush, finding that my car was an awful mess compared to the seemingly perfect pattern of car positions. I doubt it mattered, cars were incredibly sparse at times.

As I exited the car and locked it, having to open the door in such a fervor to ensure that it was still rooted to its position. While I was doing so, I was hearing some coughs that didn't sound human, a squeak to my ears that stood alongside a drone of mindless chatter, of cars driving to and fro, and the sounds of life booming across me. I slowly approached the sidewalk, seeing the glare of a young boy in my direction and in my car, and a Pokemon I was barely familiar with right beside him... That young boy was wearing red, a familiar shade of red and also a strikingly familiar design of red as well, a design of flames represented by the shade of red becoming darker designed around the hem to the ribs, as well as slicked hair. Either my mind has truly snapped in this singular moment or I am experiencing a bizarre moment of clarity, but I feel like I've seen this boy before too... Just...

"Mister! Why did you pull up and release so much smoke! My poor fennekin is coughing, and you also scared her with that car!" The boy shouted at me, pulling me out of my thoughts leading me to step back and stare, especially at the fennekin.

The pokemon just sat there so faithfully, her small, and admittedly adorable face grimacing from the smoke that my benefactor's sports car emitted as I pulled up onto the parking space. Her fur was coated in this odd, bright yellow, shining against the bright sun as it contrasted with the fur on her tail and ears being a red orange that somewhat complimented the young trainer in front of me. I recollected myself, how was I losing control of a situation to someone who clearly seemed like he was 10? Surely, he should know better, he should know better, _he should know better..._

_No, you should know better, Claude,_ my mind thought.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to, it was an accident." I stammered, my voice beginning to take a much more firm tone as I stepped closer to the boy, also glancing at the fennekin right next to him, who clearly looked frightened. At who, I didn't know for certain if it was against myself or for her trainer. I thought how to respond delicately, but a snap decision in my mind forced me to no longer mince words.

"I had no idea you were there, and I'm so sorry but I can't control it. Please, just go right back to what you're doing."

My response did not seem to satisfy the as he nearly shouted a 'come on!' to his fennekin, who carried on the frightened look from earlier. I could only stand there, not exactly sure what to think or feel with what just transpired. They walked away, towards the direction of the cafe I would be sight-seeing but walking on, going who knows where. I would've said my good luck to him, and certainly I did not know how trainers, especially those of his age assuming he was only 10 or 11 at most, were still active considering what I presumed to be in a very unstable Kalos. There would be riots if trainer licenses were suddenly revoked for sure, but their safety...

I walked towards the Cafe Gallant, finding that the color red may never escape me, with its entrance painted in this quaint, Kalosian door design that exuded elegance. It was a mix of red wood and windows combined together to create something that, within an atmosphere of a city that truly did not know whether it looked towards the future or towards the past, felt as if it knew itself enough. That aspect was enough for the Cafe Gallant to feel more like home, even more than the Coumarine Hotel, I grabbed the door and gently opened it, walking into the Cafe.

The ambiance of the Gallant was something else, a clean-cut marble floor with a diamond design at its pattern, cleaned and reflecting the are around us. The chairs and the wall were decorated with a warm, brown wood, looking luxurious yet welcoming at the same time. It looked aesthetically pleasing yet was not so outlandish enough that it would turn someone off. This was a perfect balance, and it was even reflected within the customers. A mix of adult workers from and outside the cafe, trainers who needed a break, and it seems as well some students from a nearby university. There were pokemon situated inside the cafe as well, a jigglypuff in one corner, one that flapped its wings with this intricate patterns on it that reminded me somewhat of a butterfree, as well as a blue one with foam surrounding its neck.

It all seemed so bustling, and so alive... I could feel myself corralled to a line that was somewhat long by complete accident due to just how fast-paced the atmosphere was, but at the same time you wanted to stay here. I glanced a look at the menu, some appetizing choices were presented at me. My time old favorite, Kalosian flatbread, but some paninis, chocolate eclairs, cookies, as well as some other delectable sweets were offered for standard cafe fare, it was a tad pricey, but it wasn't anything my wallet couldn't handle. I was only here for a snack, but I could probably splurge on some lunch... I could probably get a drink as well, but Cafe Gallant seemed to only have more basic options, focusing more on just rudimentary drinks versus having expansive on-menu options. I would settle for water then.

As it came for my turn to order, I walked up to a gentleman dressed oddly formally for such a mid-range place.

"Welcome to the Cafe Gallant? May I take your order?" He said in such a whimsical tone, a voice clearly laden in age but with a luster of youth infused within it. I couldn't help but be slightly jovial.

"Two chocolate eclairs please, along with a bottle of water." I responded, with him happily taking the order and inputting my requests in the machine at a clockwork pace. So mundane, yet so excited, he looked back up at me with a smile.

"Your order has been received. One of our waiters will serve you, but we will need to know your name first."

"Claude," I immediately said to that, not wanting to go through additional formalities.

"Excellent. I will relay that information to the waiter. The order is 2 chocolate eclairs with a bottle of waters, would that be all?"

I nodded, grabbing my wallet as I felt it was time for payment, oddly enough I thought it would've occurred earlier.

"Your order has been received, Claude. It amounts to a total of 1200 pokedollars." He said, raising a hand for me to place either the money or a card.

I balked slightly at the price, but considering who I was with, and how money was not really a limit for the vacation, I took out a credit card with a generous amount of credit limit within it, and paid for the meal. I wondered how trainers would be if they had a card like I did, despite myself getting it through the constant begging from Mr. Scott.

"Thank you so much for ordering from Cafe Gallant today. Your information will be relayed to a server, and your food will be delivered momentarily. Have a nice day."

I was waved off immediately when I took the receipt that was printed and could hear him immediately working the order after mine, using that exact same tone, the exact same words, and perhaps even the exact same demeanor though I could not see him. As happy as I thought this place was, how could he possibly bear such monotony with such a cheerful disposition? There was your basic 'beneath the happy mask, there is misery' reading, but there are far more complex and more realistic readings.

As I sat down on a love seat, once occupied by a trainer couple, I set my hands down on the table, twiddling my thumbs together nervously. All I needed was my food, just my food, and I could be off... For the meantime, I just watched the stage of life play right before my eyes, seeming so scripted and unscripted all at once. The man behind the counter working like clockwork, a marionette to his manager and repeating the script of greeting, taking orders, and back again for each person, with the only variations of his speech being exactly what people were ordering. People, with there being more trainers in line weirdly enough and an abundance of Pokemon, lining up on the line and leaving, an endless cycle that kept the Cafe occupied. I watched as the servers, three of them, were carrying two orders at a time, three probably would've been impossible for them. Dressed cleanly in pleated pants, a clean white apron, and a short-sleeved t-shirt. Their movements were animated, addressing each recipient with the order with a cheeriness that seemed forced.

I saw a waiter approach me, carrying two silver platters, and I could see that one of them contained my Cafe meal. He passed off the other one first, to an old-looking man who could only smile gratefully at the younger one, then he sauntered off to my table, which gave me a chance to glance a closer at him. Familiarity of people I once knew seemed to strike everywhere I go, from the woman in the car, to the young trainer in red, and now a waiter with a face that struck me as so familiar that I swore I've seen it somewhere before. Surely, it was identical in terms of the eyes, the structure, and also his hair. Yet, there was a gentle countenance that counteracted the bad associations with it, this iteration was far more nicer, more gentille...

"I have for Claude, 2 chocolate eclairs and a bottle of water!" The waiter shouted over the bustle of the cafe.

I made a motion instead of shouting my name out, and with an overly cheery smile, he came over to my table and set the platter down, leaving me to take the food that was in itself put in a plate. I took it and smiled graciously to the waiter.

"Thank you so much," I said, surprised that I'd sound grateful and genuine, and force once, my voice had emotion.

"No problem. If you need anything, just call for me or the waiters. I'm Mark, by the way, it was a pleasure doing business with you. I hope you enjoy the meal." As soon as he finished his little spiel, he walked back to the kitchen area in such a fast pace that I wasn't unable to comprehend what he just said.

Even right down to the name, he seemed familiar. My mind was just unable to connect the dots, but the name Mark sounded awfully familiar, I had probably met someone with its more formal version. I posited that perhaps I may have accidentally met someone from the past I've all but forgotten, but only am just now remembering. I thought it to be impossible, he looked far too young, far too nice to be that special someone from at least 8 years ago. Maybe it's my mind playing tricks again, finding things in people on purpose that spur my memory.

I slowly ate the chocolate eclairs set out on my plate, finely baked and leaving a ravage of sweet-drenched sugar in my mouth, my taste buds selfishly experiencing every sent of chocolate and vanilla filling to the last speck of those flavors. As unpleasant it was making my stomach begin to feel, with my diet being woefully unhealthy for someone that looked so slim, it was a moment of pleasure within confusion. Finally, a moment of temporary sanity with something truly familiar. I gobbled down the one chocolate eclair I had, then started for the second one.

I watched the flow of people leave the cafe and enter, which gradually became larger as the day wore on. As much as I loved the food, perhaps I should've ordered something, an actual lunch versus the faux dessert I was eating. My second eclair kept getting smaller and smaller as my mouth greedily chewed on it, seeming to act on its own but was powered by my desire for a delectable treat, despite my stomach and the rest of my body protesting against letting something so processed, so sweet, and so toxic invade my body and accelerate it slightly towards the moment of my death. As I finished my food, I grabbed my drink, feeling slightly hollow as I realized that there was nothing left for me to eat. Nothing left to distract me. I played around with my bottle of water, and my mind was left to think alone. I tried to fight it, forcing myself to think of no thoughts, just appear as a vegetable, drink the water bottle, leave the cafe and go back to the Coumarine Hotel, just go back, go back, go back...

_Go back now or you'll regret it..._ My mind began to wander, but I silenced the ominous thoughts that were suddenly popping up, why, why, _why_...

I slowly sat up, my mind in flux as I had no idea if I should follow its commands. I took out my wallet and left out about 200 pokedollars on the finished plate. It was a foolish move, and I doubt that the waiter might ever see it. It's free 200 pokedollars next to a finished plate, more than likely it'll be stolen at the moment I walk out of the cafe. The chatter seemed to settle into a calm river of voices, ebbing and flowing softly and loudly, but remaining ever so constant. It was one of the reasons why I was hesitating on going out, for I didn't want to have to face the chaos of the outside world.

I walked away from the table, sliding my pocket in, and opened the door back to Lumiose City. My eyes and ears met with the grinding sound of a truck, parading through the streets proudly. Weirdly enough, it was a military truck, and people were gazing into it with such a wonderment that they looked almost like children staring at a pokemon for the first time. The truck was filled with soldiers and pokemon inside, the pokemon inside being small but were covered by the gray tarp. Behind those military trucks were bird-like pokemon, with steely and thin eyes, wings with black edges, and feathers that lined up a pattern that resembled a burning fire. Its orange plume and glare made it all the more threatening against the sun glaring at the people around them, faithfully guarding the military fleet that they flanked. A talonflame, it would be a talonflame. I've heard whispers of the Pokemon being a favorite of trainers competing as pokemon battling, but as military? Somehow, I could see these battle-worn birds being effective. There were some other pokemon I couldn't recognized, most of them of varying sizes marching alongside human were controlled, discipline, with eyes moving forward towards Prism Tower... A military fleet moving towards Prism Tower...

_The rioters..._

"Citizens of Kalos, please remain calm. Evacuate to a place of shelter or a pokemon center. Citizens of Kalos, please remain calm. Evacuate to a place of shelter or a pokemon center." A voice, presumably pre-recorded, came from the direction at the front of the fleet, lying in wait at the center is Prism Tower, whose radiant gleam shined even further, begging to be snuffed out in aggression.

"What are they doing here?"

"I don't feel safe, what is going on?"

"Oh god I have a kid whose about to battle Clemont. Oh I have to get to him, oh no."

"Those rebels, those rebels mess everything up. Why, oh why are people so concerned with..."

"Kalos is going to war, Kalos is going to war..."

Those were mufflings of scared and frightened Kalosian citizens, which became more prevalent as a silence hung over the avenue. I was pushed forwards as I felt people from the Cafe Gallant stampede to the scene, wondering why there was such a ruckus outside. They probably met with the same sight as mine, Kalosian military marching towards the city's center. There were of whispers of why, expletives thrown at the Kalosian cavalry right in front of me, probably by people of my age or from those who never expected such a thing to happen, or maybe some of the rioters themselves were here. I could barely make out what's been said despite the heavy silence. The main question in my mind, what are they doing here and why?

I struggled to maintain a balance, which was exacerbated as it seemed the military right in front of us was frustrated to just hear hushes from concerned citizens, curses from others, as well as clearly frightened cries of young children.

"You heard what the voice said! MOVE!" Voice crackling at the end, a military-grade command that forced everyone into action.

I heard the shuffling of feet as people got into their cars or began to run. I could see the red sports car, I could see it... It made me think of Mr. Scott oddly as I tried to keep pace with the people around me. Did he know about this? Was this at all planned in advance? I doubt he knew, but surely he would've given me advance warning... Not tell me to come here on this particular day... Surely, he would have forced me to stay...

_Go back now... No... don't go back now..._ The small sidewalk parking lot was stampeded, and I could see someone damaging Mr. Scott's car by complete accident as people struggled to open their doors. I was about to grab my keys until I saw someone somehow get into my car, my ride back home.

"No! Get away from my car!" I shouted, my voice lost among a sea of panic that could only increase around my area, with some getting out of my way.

I didn't know for sure, but this was the closest thing to Martial Law that I could experience. I needed to go back to the hotel, I needed to... I was only dragged back by the crowd, feeling myself having to shove people around and wade through the crowd. I could feel a punch rearing its ugly head, and I was about to book it to my car and make physical contact, but it was too late... Without my keys, somehow without my keys, the car had started. I could visibly see the culprit smile this gleefully with such a cruel smile, creased upward in a way that could only temper the temptation to punch the thief. As I tried throwing a punch, I landed on the spot where the car was, feeling my hands and consequently my chest make contact with solid asphalt as I heard the car drive away. I landed right where my car once was.

I had no way to go back, and I was stuck here while a thief stole Mr. Scott's car. His reaction was the last thing on my mind, as I realized I was stuck in a city that was about to tear itself apart, as I heard one gunshot ring through the air that came in the direction of Prism Tower, and the screams and yelps of people as they tried to run. What was most evident was the screams of young and children, and pokemon right after. Some were bloodcurdling, hair raising even among the panicking adults around. I could feel those screams, nearly prompting me to scream myself as a response. I knew those young screams, I was too familiar with those young screams... I wanted to help them, soothe their young souls and allow myself the pain of protecting them, but there was no way I could find them, and there was no way they could accept request from a stranger, a stranger who himself is just as scared as the rest of them.

I could only get on my knees as my chest was slightly bruised from the fall, I pitied myself for having such a fragile body at such dangerous times, my ears could pick shouts of requests for parents, the amount of 'mommies' and 'daddies' I hear, along with names, so many shouts of names and 'I'm scared,' to the point where I couldn't bear to hear it anymore.

"Hey, hey you! Hey! What are you doing just laying around?" I hear someone in front of me say, and I could look up, probably someone military. To my surprise, the carrier of that voice wasn't.

Dressed in hues of green and black, clearly in a trainer's outfit and clearly a teen, I could easily see that my potential savior was male, an annoyed look in his face laced with disappointment, and a hand that was out. Without even asking, I took it and was dragged up from the ground, feeling the pain in my chest radiate slightly as my body protested for being yanked so quickly. I had no time to thank my savior as he stared directly at me, seeming to recognize me but at the same time, looking at me (and bizarrely, my clothes and also at my side, where there was no one next to me) with an apprehension. In a normal situation, I would've immediately questioned why.

"Do you know where the pokemon center is?" He half-shouted, and I shook my head, leading to an exasperated look on his face as he took in the panic around him, he heaved a sigh.

"Okay, just follow me and I'll take you to the closest one. Make sure you stay with an arm's reach. Now come on, let's go." He said, then turning around and running, with me in tow.

The crowd had dispersed somewhat, but there was a clear two streams on the sidewalk, and the cars beside me were at this point gone, with me apparently not feeling them move despite my body being next to them. That didn't matter, I pushed forward as much as I could, my legs wanting to give out and surrender to the ground but for the sake of my safety, I could not. Yet even the teen seemed to be struggling as the crowd was moving towards and away from Prism Tower. The teen I was following, once he approached an alley, booked it and I followed him as faithfully as I could, my legs somehow finding the stamina to keep up with his blistering pace.

We found ourselves in a place called "Magenta Plaza," but I had no time to survey the sights around me as people were panicking all over, with the teen then banking a right. In sight was a pokemon center that sat right at the doorstep of the plaza that housed Prism Tower, the center, and from there I could see the true sight of what was happening, why there was military.

The rioters were fighting back, some with their own pokemon fighting in a bizarre way against the military that commanded them like any trainer would, they actually fought _alongside_ them literally, risking blood and life to fight back against their opponents. I could see some of the military shuffling in young trainers into the Pokemon Center, surely they would've redirected some to another one, close it down, it was too close, _far, far_ too close for comfort. I could feel my body slow down, but by the time I could even contemplate, I felt my hand being dragged and thrown into the center's entrance and then another hand drag me in.

"Come on, come on! Move! Move! Live gunfire and live pokemon attacks! Get in here or get killed!" I heard the soldiers shout nearby, as a tall dragon-like pokemon also guarded the entrance and launched some fire attacks on aggressors, and I could see some of them being burned alive before I could see the doors close...

There were soldiers inside to corral us further into the center, which had a neat, yellow tiled floor but that was all I could see in the commotion. As soon as we were situated, hiding somehow in the integrated Pokemart, under the counter along with its owner, the teen clad in green, along with other frightened trainers in varying ages, some of them 10, and some of them just a couple years younger than me. Clear fear was in the air as I felt myself begin to panic after the adrenaline waded away from my body. My breathing began to hitch as I looked down, feeling my hands cover my head as my body began to convulse, but I tried to calm myself. Calm, stay calm, _stay calm..._

There was no way for me to air out my anger or concerns as children right around me whimpered, with the older teens requesting to look for their loved ones as a live broadcast of the today's crisis was aired. There was a sense of finality to everyone's aura, heavy fear, but an inevitability that this would be the sight where many of us would die in the imminent war. I stopped myself at the line of thought, a weak denial beginning to course through me... _There is no war... There is no war_...

Muffled cries and sobs were abound as I hears final wishes being said, final prayers and those hugging their pokemon. Some of these children may be just starting their journeys, and the fact they have a major chance of ending today by an outside forces makes me sympathize with them. I feel for their pain, having opportunities taken away so cruelly and so helplessly. Though it was hushed, I could hear someone near me, a girl's voice, maybe 12 or 13, speak.

"Mom, it's me Claire. I know you're not there but I just want to let you know that I love you and I hope you're so proud of me for going on this journey. When you hear this I want you to know that I... I'm in a better place and that my journey has ended, but I never gave up... I'm in a better place because I fought to be there, I fought for my right to have this j-journey... I'm so sorry I'm leaving early and I just want you to know I love you so much... Take care of papa and old Chesnaught for me please, I love you..." Heartwrenching, silent sobs that could only be heard through gasps.

No one dared to speak or comment, or even comfort her in her pain. Hearing it already gave me enough pain, but I couldn't bear to look at her billowing misery. I wanted to so bad to comfort her, to tell her it would be okay, but I had no stake in her future, and neither did she. I could only look up to the red ceiling, my face breathing as my body convulsed up and down, adrenaline threatening to run its course once more...

"Everyone, it's been announced that the trainer database system is open to track pokedexes of any loved ones in a journey. Parents or anyone who has relatives on journeys may be welcome to use one of our many PCs to check. Please keep a straight line while you do so." I heard a female voice, likely a Nurse Joy, shout.

There was a stampede that was relatively to ensure the soldiers were satisfied, but it was inevitable, from the looks of their faces. The noise that we were making would surely attract the enemy more than they already were attack the military forces, I wonder if most of them were still even alive at this point, still fighting... Most of the pokemon and the human soldiers would surely fight valiantly, right? Everything would be solved, I would be escored back to Coumarine with others who are just as panicked as I am, dropped off in a military convoy, yes that would happen... It should happen, it will happen...

I was one of the first ones onto the PC terminals that would allow someone to check if a loved one of theirs was in a journey, if they were on one in the first place. It would track someone's pokedex, revealing their current location. I've heard of hearsay that this sort of system is only reserved through the availability of a Nurse Joy and was blocked off in regular circumstances, but in these times... Only one person was in front of me, quickly typing a name, while the teen clad green was behind me. Two names were in my mind, two names I never thought I'd ever think about, though one of them popped up in my mind so much more than often, and a wistfulness and sadness flows within me if I even dare think about that name...

The person in front of me sighed in relief, and it was my turn, As the screen set itself on a search bar, I typed one name onto it.

_Alexis Sheffield_

There was only one entry, marked under the region of Kalos. I didn't hesitate to click on it and the computer quickly loaded up me an _entire_ history of her Pokemon journey and her entire team. There was no time for me to feel pride, regardless of how much she has accomplished by undergoing her 6th journey, she never stopped after Kanto... I immediately looked to where her location was and I could see that her pokedex was still active. It was an unreliable indicator, but she was still alive somehow, still alive... I saw the location, _Snowbelle City_. It wasn't much, but it was all I had.

I felt my back being poked by the same teen behind me, and he looked somewhat amazed despite the situation I had, but still had that disappointment within them. I began to grow frustrated at these looks, knowing it was because the way I looked probably reminded him of someone probably still very famous, despite his infamous legacy, and how much I looked like him to reasons I refuse to confront to this day.

"Are you..." He began to ask, and I cut him off with a surprisingly stern look and motion.

"No. I am not who you think I am." I said with a hard edge with my voice, and turned around.

I typed in one more name, _Xavier Sheffield_. I couldn't bear to look at his list of accomplishments, which were far longer than our sister's list. His pokedex location was marked as 'not in Kalos,' this PC system must be Kalos-centric, but I was relieved for that. I couldn't believe I had searched for a name of someone I had detested for a log time, but regardless of these complicated blood relations. Xavier was family, and probably the few semblances of blood family I still have in this world, even if it did not feel like actual family ties.

I was going to search for one more name but I ended my turn, walking off back to the pokemart with my gaze lodged into a view of an active news broadcast at low volume. Predictably, the attack of Lumiose City was being covered, and I could see who the aggressors were despite their miniature forms on the TV. They were dressed oddly similarly in color palette to the soldiers, a dark brown color, but didn't have those cleanly pressed and regimented uniforms. Instead, they looked like everyday citizens, but trained in warfare and unorthodox pokemon battling. They looked like this was their first exposure to the outside world, as if sunlight was a foreign concept to them, but it didn't reduce their effectiveness in battle.

The entire region it seems was falling apart, and I was wondering what was happening Coumarine, if Mr. Scott was safe. I considered calling him, but somehow I felt that his ingeniousness and perchance for taking the easy way out would lead him to be safe through the entire crisis, I wouldn't put it past him if he was on a plane or boat to Kanto by himself. I sighed, trying to relax, but I could feel my eyes dilate when the next report came.

**BREAKING NEWS: Snowbelle City is bombed by Kalosian forces. Rebels are pushing back and seeming to capture hostages.**

I could feel the entire world stop as my eyes could only take on the flashing breaking news ticker on the TV screen, flashing so many times that it seemed like it was mocking me. Jumping around and creating mental wounds on my body, prancing over them and allowing me to fall apart in the middle of a crisis as I stopped breathing. Alexis was the only thing in my mind, her safety was the only thing in my mind. I was faced with the reality that Alexis, my sister, the only one left in my broken family that I still loved, could potentially be dead. Killed and vaporized by the bombs, and potentially massacred by the pokemon she loves, killed by the very forces I sought to find protection in.

"No.. no... no..." I wheezed out, closing in on myself as grief began to strike me, my chest convulsing as I breathed in and out in such a rapid pace to catch my breath. I could feel my emotions begin to break down, but convulsions in breathing was as far as I could go.

_She's not gone.. She's not gone.. She's not gone... She's not gone... She's not gone..._

"EVERYONE GET-" I heard the sounds of gunfire ring through as the door to the pokemon center was kicked down and screaming was abound, I felt myself scream and so did the people around me.

I took the person closest to me and pushed them down near the counter as someone did to me, as I could hear Nurse Joy trying to placate them. _Stay calm, just stay calm..._This position would easily lead me to die, but as long as I was protecting someone, especially someone younger than me. I knew they were in pain as I smothered a stranger with my body, but I would rather it be me than many so young...

"Please, just calm-"

"Alakazam," I heard a male voice said that stopped Nurse Joy, and a vibration type of sound, then the sounds of bone cracking and a body dropping to the floor. The most disturbing then about it was that there was no sound, no screams to indicate that. I could only guess what could just happened, and I am glad I did not witness it.

"Why would you do that to Nurse Joy!? You bas-" Gunfire, the teen boy in green had just died, another thump on the floor.

There was silence as I could hear footsteps, aside from their footsteps no else seems to have died, but the stench of death was evident in the atmosphere, as I could smell the putrid stench that would only become worse as time went on. I stayed absolutely silent, training my breathing to become unnoticeable... Surely, they will leave, they will leave...

"Come on... Come on! There has to be someone brave enough!? You, boy in the red with the fennekin? Wanna stand up for the people that just died? You look like the establishment!" I heard a male voice shout, sounding like a mix of youth and age.

I could hear the whimpers of a young boy, and the description sounded familiar... The same boy that complained about Mr. Scott's car, of course... He was being threatened, but no one here did anything. No one dared to protect the poor child, and everyone seemed to only stand there in shock. The person on top of me refused to get up as I could feel their breathing hitch behind me.

"Come on, speak! Don't you wanna know why we're here!? This is THE Kalosian revolution! The war to save YOU from ever doing something so stupid with your pokemon! All these journeys, they're meaningless and they hurt that poor little fennekin right there! If you're not gonna speak, then we have no choice but to kill your life. We can make it quick so we don't have to make you beg for your parents. Besides it'll be so much better for that fennekin, without you enslaving it for your selfish desires."

"N-no please," I could hear the boy try to respond, walking back but an audible thud was heard, had he fell down when he walking back?

I nudged the person on top of me to get off. It was a stupid idea, but I couldn't let that kid be held mercy to someone so much older than him. As I thought earlier, better me than someone young... Better me, someone who's already lived their life and suffered much, who didn't get a chance to go on a journey but it didn't matter. I had other chances that allowed me to get to where I am today, and it would be better for any of these trainers to live to see another day. Following a slight protest from the person on top of me, I slowly got up.

Everyone had their heads down, with a few brave ones with their hands up, staring back bravely into four people, two men and two women that had controlled the entire center, leaving in their wake lives lost, wearing exactly what the 'rebels' on the TV screen wore. Everyday clothing modified to perform well in warfare, but with ammo belts, some pokeballs, along with an odd camo scheme that was dark. The Nurse Joy, the soldiers that were once guarding us, and now the teen who saved me from lingering on the avenue. The four had an Alakazam front and center, who glanced at me with this piercing stare the momene it saw me, and let who seemed to be their leader, black-haired with pale skin, glare at me.

"You! You with the suit. You're not like anyone else here. Why?" The man trained his gun on me, and I could feel the Alakazam beginning to channel his psychic power.

"I... I was told to take s-sh-shelter... That is all... Please..." I responded, keeping my hands up as a way to try and placate the situation. I had gone through one statement, no bullet through my chest yet.

There was silence hanging over the pokemon center as the man kept his gun at me, no one else dared to take the initiative. The finger was on that trigger, preparing to shoot, any sudden movement, my life would end either in a bullet or with my body twisted to the point where my spine would be broken.

"Please... Please let us go... There are children here... I... I sympathize with your goals..." I added that last part in, keeping my hands raised. I did an appeal to emotion, hopefully it gets to them, hopefully they placate...

I then saw someone also brave enough to get up, a mother guarding her daughter and shielding her. She looked at least in her 40s, hair graying, but had an edge in her eyes, a sudden bravery that I wish I could've had. _Thank you_... I said to her mentally.

"Listen to what he says. We are innocent people. We do not wish you harm. Please let us go, we sympathize with your goals but we have lives to return to." She pleaded, despite the gun being turned away from me and now at her.

"How can we be sure we believe what you say?" A female voice this time, far more calculated than the male one, seeming to almost push the dark-haired male into submission. She was the clear leader, and I could easily tell she had no hesitation of ending everyone's life if it was the benefit to her team.

"Take us as refugees, allow us shelter. Just let us escape in peace in any way possible. I have no weapons. The children here are scared for their lives, they cannot hurt anyone. You've demonstrated your power."

I could hear her voice crackle and waver under the fear, but her bravery was one to be admired. Standing up for everyone here, for the trainers, for the children... I owed an eternal debt for her saving the lives of an entire center, to do what nobody else did, but should've done. I saw them deliberate what the woman said, and them looking at each and everyone of us. It was very clear that the dark-haired woman was leading the conversation, especially looking at the older woman, me, and the child in red with the fennekin.

I had no idea what the ramifications of what the woman did for us, but for as long as they did not end up in everyone's deaths, I would be fine what what transpires.

"We will take the woman's request for shelter, but we won't let you go so easily. No one here is safe, even if we let you go back to your normal lives. You will see us no matter how far you retreat to the western coasts, and we will reclaim this wicked region from the hands of the corrupt government and the pokemon league. With us, you will be safer, and you will be guaranteed a better shelter from this war than if you went back to your normal lives." The woman began, flanked by the man with dark hair, who would continue.

"But under one condition. Every trainer here is to release their pokemon. We don't care how you do it, and I don't care if it makes any of you emotional or broken. We do not tolerate the sort of pokemon 'ownership' that the league forces upon you. You let these pokemon go or you will face death." The man ordered.

I wasn't sure if to collapse in relief or remain steady as the guns were lowered and the trainers immediately complied, not wanting to face death. It was easy for many of those in their teens, with many breaking the pokeballs and assuring their companions that the pokeball did not matter, and that they were still friends. As space became filled, some trainers surrendered their pokeballs to the rebels, this was especially done with many 10 year olds who nearly outright refused to give up their pokemon, with Alakazam often forcing the capsules away from the trainers and placing them on the rebels hands, with the threat of death being the only thing stopping the trainers from doing anything reckless. The same circumstances also applied to some of the older ones, especially with the daughter of the courageous mother. Who was sobbing as the pokeball was taken away from her at the desperate requests of her mother. This scene was repeated multiple times over and over in the space of a cramped center, the sounds of sorrow lodging themselves in my brain like so many others.

This process did not take long, with the process being sped up by the forceful taking of pokeballs. As soon as that was done, the rebels ordered in a rough procession line, with our hands up feigning surrender and innocence.

"That battle is won with our favor, but this does not mean the government won't send another force to try and take back our battle. For as corrupt as we think they are, willfully allowing the sacrifices of children like yours of their confidence and livelihood to be dedicated to the enslavement of these pokemon, we do not think them to be cruel enough to kill you. If they kill you, you will die as heroes to us, and you will be remembered for your sacrifice." The dark-haired man spared no words as he spoke into a headset, seeming to order the rest of his contingent outside.

The light of the outside world seeped in, a light that was orange in color instead of yellow. I looked at the TV screen behind me, showing the pokemon center we were in. It was dusk, a dark orange coating the ravaged area around Prism Tower. Smoke was abound, the road was cracked, but it was all I could see from the filter of a TV screen. Then, I could see the children with their hands up, their once youthful faces looking dead... Walking towards a valediction of their lives, everything that they once knew now stripped away.

The line in front of me moved, and in a moment, I would be on that same screen. I turned away from the screen and followed the crowd around me with my hands up, continuing the procession in a lurching pace...


	6. Our Riot, Our Rebellion, Our Revolution

I stepped onto the outside, hands raised, following the single file line of hostages that would remain going for an unspecified time until orders were assigned. The feel of the air was no longer a welcome one, as the literal heat of battle seeped into my clothes and my skin. This was not the heat of a sauna, nor was it the heat of being kissed by the sun in walk in the beach. I felt the heat of death, as my eyes processed the the destruction that was laid upon Lumiose's central plaza. Though the roads were not leveled, the once classy and intact buildings were now scorched with black marks, likely done by explosions in the heat of battle.

The sun, once shining ever so proudly hours before, had now set. Turning the sky into a hopeless orange, heralding the darkness of night. I could only think of what would I have been doing if I had just stayed in Coumarine. The news media will likely be replaying the current scene right now, milking the tragedy that occurred today for what its worth. I would be prepared to sleep, or at least rest in the bed I once didn't care for, but now that it's out of reach... It's value, once near worthless for me, was now unspeakable.

I marched forward with the hostages, my hand being kept high as I heard the whirring of the helicopter, as I saw the dark-haired man who was the most aggressive of the rebels look up at it. Despite the whirring of mechanical blades, the sounds of death paraded about the plaza, jumping about and reminding everyone here what had just occurred, including myself, about what had happened here. There were cries of soldiers requesting for help, pleading for their opponent to take them prisoner instead of shooting them dead on the ground. There are some tending to the wounded, cries of pokemon shouting their name to the skies as their tone changed depending on how much pain they felt.

A Talonflame's screaming found its way rooted to my mind as I continued the slow march towards the plaza, where we being directed by the women, the commander, I'm assuming. The rebel contingent had their guns continually trained on us, but especially towards the courageous woman who was the one who negotiated our escape, the unofficial port of call for us, the distressed civilians. Despite the whirring present, the talonflame screamed to the heavens, its voice cracking as it literally vomited out its own name over and over, a helpless cry for help, followed by an even stronger scream that lost all semblance of it being recognizable from pokemon or human, an otherworldly scream that gurgled and then became weak as screams became hopeless whimpers, whines, sobs...

"Keep your hands up!" A woman's voice shouted, as the last of the hostages were then let out of the Pokemon center.

I did not how many of us were here, but we stood as a line from the center all the way stretching to the base of Prism Tower, a single file line that could easily be mowed down by the scattered rebel soldiers around us. There was a call to formation with the dark-haired man in the lead, the entirety of the platoon that was likely responsible for the result had formed a large collective in front of us, presenting what was likely a mix of gray and brown in front of the a smorgasbord of color from civilians, alongside the helpless Pokemon that stood beside us, likely the ones that belonged to the trainers. I could hear the groans of some Kalosian soldiers behind me, them being shoved behind our backs as all the news helicopter could do was fly helplessly at the scene.

We're... We're easy targets... We're going to...

"Do you see the crowd of innocents stand before you, Kalos!? Do you see them, standing in a battlefield where victory has been gained by the rebel side!? All of you, sitting at home comfortably, not giving about a damn about your fellow men and women that suffering in silence because of ignorance! Stand with us! Stand with us or we burn this region to the ground! You dare attack us, your fellow living beings!? You dare just stand there!? Leave us to die or kill us, you will have committed a sin so unforgivable that your life will be worse than death!" The man finished his passionate oration, standing back as he looked down solemnly to the ground then to the rest of his unit, or likely platoon around him.

The woman, who I remembered as the leader, nodded at the silent conversation around her, and they seemed to look straight up to the camera, every single rebel that was present and able to stand. I could feel my chest vibrating from the remnants of the man's resonant speech, feeling myself somehow moved and swayed by his tone despite my mind reluctant to join the rebel side. I tried to resist as much as I could, play a silent assault as the rebels began their salute. It was odd, performing such pageantry in a battlefield around them, but by no means were they ordinary soldiers used to an extreme regiment. To them, rules are broken and made constantly, and some ceremonies, no matter how silly they may seem in the context, are going to be performed.

I could hear hard marches, stomps on the crackled concrete as the rebels seemed to go about it in a blinding pace, it only lasted for a second, just three marches forward and a final salute, a closed fist to the heart. It was oddly similar to how some hand salutes, most especially the Unovan one. In certain cases, I remember having to place a hand, not a closed fist, over the same side of my chest, the left side... I could not dwell on further on the similarities as the leader began to speak, stepping over the battalion of rebels and making sure that she was in front.

"Allow us to leave with no further battle! We may have defeated you, but we have not won the city just yet! Allow these civilians and pokemon safe passage to us! You dare attempt to assault or take them from us, we will retaliate with a further attack on your precious city!" The woman shouted to the news helicopter.

The situation only seemed to get more confusing as it progressed, the silence around me becoming far more uncomfortable as our lives were played at the hands of the rebel side. Whether we like it or not, we were their hopeless pawns in this moment, and perhaps for longer than that if we lived to see the outside of Lumiose City. I glanced a look at the battalion, some looking absolutely incredulous by the optimistic demands that their leader seemed to have put forth, most stayed at the back of the small rebel crowd, looking at the dark-haired man who gave the speech and their leader with clear disdain and a gleeful greed in their eyes.

The contingent dispersed quickly, and the leader, as well as two different soldiers, one man and one woman, came to us. I saw many other rebels scramble to the opposite side of the plaza, running as I could her shouts of 'go, go, go!' and 'start the convoy before anything happens!' The urgency, even as it was silent, continued on from earlier, only exacerbated by the shouts of military commands being thrown about in the air without a regard of who received it. I heard stern voices in my proximity, it was from the man that came near us, and my eyes were forced to him as started his spiel. Tall, sandy blonde, with a shadow around his chin along with dead eyes, wearing that distinctive, messy, but somehow efficient rebel 'uniform,' almost similar to the man that made the assault on the center that I hid in and made that passionate speech yet so different.

"Okay everyone, make a move here or we'll threaten to shoot you on the spot! As you've heard from her, we're going to grant you safe passage from this warzone from here to Laverre City, one of the cities that, we the rebels, or the Kalosian Liberation Force, have taken and controlled! It is a safe haven for rebels that defect from the Kalosian government or who have changed sides." The man pointed to his leader as he spoke, and then grimaced as he seemed space out and look around at the destruction as he discussed us going to this Laverre City.

"All will be explained in due time what our motivations are or why we fight against the wretched league and the wretched government that runs to the ground this once beautiful region! For now, focus on the fact that we have allowed salvation and have shown great mercy to you!" The woman, not the leader, said this time to us. She had similar hair to the leader, it was jet black, but it was cut to such a degree that I would've thought she was bald, and she had a much more venomous and fiery tone to her compared to her leader.

We could only helplessly stand there as the process of corralling to whatever modes of transport they used to get here began. Like clockwork, the screams of military persons began, laughable from a distance considering they sound almost like drill sergeants. Yet, under their watchful and hostile gaze, with their voices in such close proximity as the rest of the battalion seemed to communicate with hand gestures and motions, there was a distinct pressure on my chest as their hardened voices crackled and strained to command us where they wanted.

"Keep moving! Keep moving!" Was one of them, a voice that boomed easily seeing as I, along with everyone else, remained silent.

It was a slow, agonizing march to wherever they would take us, the scent of death in the air grew ever stronger as the seconds passed, with military chatter dying down as the footsteps of human and pokemon alike dominated the empty Lumiose air, a hanging silence that would leave a permanent scar on this city. We weren't in the plaza for long, as the rebels decided to march us towards rouge plaza, bringing about odd emotions and sensations within me... Of all the places where we'd march off to...

I could feel my arms begin to weaken, and the shout of one of the rebels in response.

"Keep your hands up!" One of them shouted, likely a male, keeping my hands locked upwards despite my muscles beginning to tire out from exhaustion.

We traversed rouge plaza, where my eyes were confronted with the familiar sights of the nightclubs I once sought to find entertainment in, their neon lights turned off against the setting sun, the once active nightclub scene that would I assume develop here completely empty. It was completely devoid of souls as the rebel collective marched down in front of us, their guns trained to the skies and into nearby alleys or streets. As we kept walking, seemingly towards the entrance to route 14 as the rebels ahead of seemed to be just going straight ahead, I caught sight of the nightclub I went in to two weeks ago, where only the threat of whatever happened today only seemed tangential, so far from reality...

The once colorful _Club de Pigalle_ had its lights turned off, the area in front of devoid of desperate souls looking for a fix of temporary happiness. As fast as it appeared in my line of sight, it was gone. I could only look forward with the rest of the innocents around me, as the stone entrance to route 14 became ever larger. The soldiers ahead of us were checking every corner of that entrance and the surrounding area, pointing their guns at the entrance, flanking both sides of the open boulevard that would expose us.

We marched into the entrance, our pace increasing as the fear of an additional or surprise attack was evident. My heart raced as we went through the darkened area that marked the transition from the city to the wilderness, with the rebels seeming to have eschewed the freeways... Even as we marched outside Lumiose, there was no sound other than the broken steps on the pavement. The city had become ghostly, there was no soul watching us except the very ones that tried to cause chaos and take over it.

It wasn't long until we were met with the sight of route 14 and an array of military convoys parked right outside of the entrance, with the surviving rioters carrying scorched picket signs, their clothes tattered from battle and their eyes visibly in shock, despite their eerie calmness. They looked at us like we were hostiles, seeming to be ready to launch at us until a few rebels had to calm them down. Our hands remained up even more as a response. My shoulder pain had became more acute as we stopped at the convoys, the bones in my back aching to a point where an iron press was colliding with my flesh. _Brave the pain, brave the pain..._

Their leader broke off from the man and the woman she was with and was then directing her contingent, both the rebels and the rioters, to start the convoys. With a silent hand motion, she motioned the rebels nearby us to start directing us to whatever military convoy we would be placed in. That was when my hands were released from being up, as I felt myself pushed into one of the military convoys, the brief light from the sunset now replaced by a darkness as the ground turned from grass to metal. I remained crouched as I was forced to walk within the convoy, taking a seat at the innermost right from my side as I could hear the shuffles, grunts, and cries of those trying to get in and organize themselves. The acute silence from the outside ran even more rampant, only broken by hitched breathing, hiccups from children who were sobbing, as well as smaller pokemon that were allowed to be taken inside complaining about the darkness.

"Do not use flash, please do not use flash, I know you're scared but please don't use flash..." I heard someone mutter, a young teen whose voice was deepening, couldn't have been any older than 13 at the most...

I wondered how they would corral the larger pokemon into this cramped space, or if they would simply leave them for dead in a torn city. I glanced at the small opening of the outside, the tarp that seemed to be covering this convoy in this darkness flailing about wildly in the wind. Soon, there would be no light coming out of it, as it had been sunset moments ago... It won't be long...

I looked the dark ground beneath me, my hands clutching my sides as I began to become overcome with shock. The mutters of people around me that broke the dead silence were lost to my ears as the events from today replayed in my mind. The deaths of all those people, the boy in green, the nurse joy, the boy that almost died. Cries of young trainers calling their parents, 10 year olds not wanting to let go of their pokemon, similarly to the teens that had developed strong bonds. Everyone seemed to have lost something today, and witnessing it first hand was something I wouldn't wish for anyone to experience, not even to the people I detest.

I felt the convoy move, but it didn't stop my mind from lingering into my own thoughts, the losses from today, the family I could've and probably lost today... _Alexis... Alexis..._

_Alexis..._

My body writhed forward slightly, convulsions in my chest that didn't have me making a sound, an eerie silence from myself that disturbed me even though my mind was in its moment of breakdown. I didn't dare think of the name again, but my sister's name repeated itself over and over... Alexis, my sister, the only family I still love to this day, the only one I'd return to if I were ever whisked back to my family...

I controlled my breathing as much as I could, but there was no stopping my emotions. The thought of hope never crossed my mind as I immediately thought the worst, right now, there was no convincing me that she was probably alive, though she still could be.

I steeled my breathing as my mind tried to grapple with the potential loss at hand, and I could feel myself being isolated further, isolated from peace and joy. I looked at other, with some seeming to be experiencing the same emotions I have, some showed it more freely with the sounds they were making that were muffled by the bumps that the convoy was enduring. Even with these interruptions, there was no stopping the silence in the convoy, no ceasing of the pain.

Truthfully, I did not care anymore where these rebels would take us... I could only hope that, whatever happens from now until whenever this war and revolution ends, that peace is still to be found.

* * *

There was no denying that the ride through route 14 was constantly interrupted by rocky traversals to the unseen ground, with the convoy I was in constantly slowing down and having to rev its engine just to climb the incline of the route. These interruptions provided a welcome distraction from my earlier thoughts as my emotions receded, giving me the long sought neutrality of emotion that I needed. Though I still held myself, I felt calm for once, willing to accept whatever would happen now and in the nearby future, for there was no possibility for affecting what happened hours ago. The rules of the the game have changed, thus each and everyone of us has to learn the new reality we now occupy, despite whatever resistance we may harbor.

As an hour passed, I could feel the convoy stop, a new silence being created as the people around me looked at each other. I couldn't make out expressions in the darkness, but fear was radiating, as people were pushing towards my direction, huddling to my direction and sticking close. For all that we knew, the rebels may have led us to a trap or to an execution, where we would all die. There was no time for anyone to voice their distrust as a flashing light lit up the crowd, with a ray directly hitting my eyes before flailing around to other people. I had to bow and hold my head down for a moment, but it wasn't long until new orders were issued.

"Let's move, let's move! Everyone get out of the convoy," a male voice, a familiar one. Not the one that made the passionate space in Lumiose, but the one male rebel that spoke to us once they corralled us... I could vaguely remember his speech, something about going to a Laverre City...

We were shoved outside, with some of us having to be pushed to the ground. The inside of the convoy wasn't exactly great protection from nature, but I did not realize how cold and dark it was right now in route 14. Everything was betrothed in a dark blue hue, and my eyesight could barely see the makeshift road that was created, and also the forests and the oddly colored and dead-looking grass that we seemed to have traveled upon. Yet it was visible we were on much higher elevation, so my suspicions were confirmed, I was indeed in mountain Kalos.

The same mountain Kalos I read in those news reports all those weeks ago, that seem to have politically broken away from the main region and formed its own, with no league to speak of nor any sort of sovereignty, but was still claimed as a region. I could only wonder how much of those news reports were true, and how truthfully they presented the people that broke away. I thought it to be false considering there were Pokemon journeys occurring, but my sister was in Snowbelle...

Just exactly how long has this revolution been happening? And when did it start?

There was no time for these thoughts, as I was whisked away by a rebel to follow the rest of the crowd. Though covered by the density of the people I was with the rebels, what I assumed to be the Laverre City entrance was visible to my eyes, and it looked formidable at a distance. There was an orange light emanating from the metal wall that was made up the entrance to Laverre, and additional rebels were stationed, examining the people ahead of me before letting them through the metal wall that enclosed what I assume to be Laverre City.

The line moved fairly efficiently, but there was dread building up inside me as I got closer to the rebel guards, who seemed to have no problem not only looking like they were uncomfortably grabbing adults, but also being hostile to children and shoving them off to Laverre. In a few seconds, I was next, being examined by a male guard who eyed with me suspicion, looking at my clothes with an incredulous look for a half-second before immediately checking for my pickets. I felt my breathing hitch slightly as he checked both hip pockets on my dress pants, then went for my jacket pockets, and then the ones on the back of my pants. I wasn't expecting them to coddle people, but the hostility in which they searched for items, with him grabbing my wallet and my phone, in which he gave the phone to another soldier while allowing me to keep my wallet. After that, he then pushed me to the direction of the metal gate, where it was opened.

_There goes any sort of communication I have..._ I thought with a minimal longing for the phone, but it faded as I walked into Laverre, finding the sources of the orange light that shone from the iron.

As I took my first steps into the town, I was flanked by two lamp posts that were shining brightly, a beacon of normality in a region that was tearing apart by the second. I was forced to walk forward by a shove from a rebel soldier, a familiar one I remember seeing from Lumiose. There was a crowd that had developed near the Pokemon Center, which seemed to have look derelict and dead, the sign that was clearly supposed to have lit up stayed dark against the night, absorbing the proud center sign to nature, only illuminated slightly by faint city lights. I walked to the crowd, seeing more familiar faces now that the chaos from Lumiose was finally over, but it was very clear that there would be no semblance of tranquility for the foreseeable future.

I saw the mother that negotiated us to be in this position in the first place, with her comforting her distressed daughter and was in the front of the group. A hierarchy was already in place even within the disconnected group of survivors from the center, she would be the one to speak for all of us, and even though there was no vote or official declaration of it, there seemed to be no vocal resistance to her being in front, even though she had a dual duty of taking care of family. I feared for her, seeing as she had the burden of many for now, but I also feared for her daughter. What would happen to her if she had lost her mother?

I also glanced a look at boy in red with the fennekin, seeing him at the outer edge of the survivor collective around the pokemon center, I couldn't see his expression as I took my place at the back of the crowd, with it growing steadily by the second as those who knew each other clung to each other. I lingered at the periphery, hoping to be a leftover victim in the event that something drastic happens...

The city itself was a gradual incline, represented by brief sets of stairs, that all led to a structure covered by darkness, but from the brief illumination that the city provided that at times, flashed white revealing a cold-looking metal. Was it that place where they would lead us? Where they'd be shepherding us to our deaths? Only a few seemed to be paying attention as I had glanced at the edge of the city, and there was a temptation to just break away and just masquerade as one of the civilians. What kept some from doing that? Surely I must not be the only one who thought of breaking away, yet, the nebulous group of survivors just huddled ever closer, creating insulation from this unfamiliar town.

All chatter was silent the moment the last of the survivors trickled into the crowd, with the rebels marching in with guns pointed, right behind the last one to get checked. I saw a glance at that person, a trainer who looked 16, dressed in faint hues of green and orange with this bizarre pattern that seemed to evoke movement and activeness, and was cradling a broken, slightly-dented pokedex.

We marched towards that building at the end of the city, commenced by the yelp of a soldier, treating us like a platoon. Though we did not have to raise our hands, it was clear that any deviation from the group was unacceptable. Someone who stepped even slightest out of inch from the pack was met with a yell that sounded vaguely a drill sargeant, with an added layer of harshness and grit into the voice that it forced even those who weren't on the voice's path of destruction into submission. We moved as a guided whole, ever so slowly towards that dark building carved in metal, born in fire.

The townsfolk from Laverre, from what little were outside, had caught sight of us, the nebulous group of survivors that were being railed through a town that most of us didn't know, or at least that's what I assumed. The people that lived here looked haggard, eyes sagged yet alert as they looked at most of his with a mix of apprehension and fear. A father-daughter duo walking downwards the steps glanced at us, then shielded his young daughter, who was wearing some sort of yellow colored skirt, the only bright spot of this town aside from some of the trainers around me.

The houses themselves looked somewhat old-fashioned and decrepit in the darkness, the yellow light accentuating the grainy blues and browns of each house brick, making it look like a sunken mess that would fall apart at any moment. These houses were hopeless vanities in a time of war, still standing as the region itself was burning.

"That's the pokemon gym..." I heard someone say near me in the shuffle of footsteps that stepped on varying tones on the ground, some timid, some hurried, and some angry.

There was a pile of rubble surrounded by soldiers, with townspeople resembling that of the father with their raggedy clothes, tired looks, as well as fearful and prejudicial expressions were working in the darkness to clear that rubble. That rubble was on the 'landing' on top of the stairs we were in, right in front as we took a step onto grass which was where the voice mentioned the gym, or perhaps what I assumed was left of it. They were digging into the dirt, removing rocks as they were guarded by rebel soldiers similar to the ones forcing us to walk.

No soul stopped or paused their movement to consider what that voice said, and no one acknowledged its existence. The walk kept to its pace, a speed between lurching and normality. A fear of the unknown stopping us from simply just speeding towards that metal building, yet the fear of an early death preventing us from stopping completely. Each step we took, the building became much more clearly defined. With each stair we climb ascending the mountainous city, the more we realized that this building was perhaps more than just a mountain of metal that perhaps served as shelter.

The gasps from a few were audible as we took the final stairwell, crossing a final larger stairwell until we were met with the sight of four destroyed structures around us, with one red and white ball that was scorched to my near right. It looked unfamiliar for a moment, until I realized that it was a destroyed pokeball. Right in front of us, to a crowd that was struggling to keep itself together as the increasing ascent onto an unknown fate, was the metal structure that I saw from afar. That structure was a door, with a pokeball design on its top desecrated with unreadable scribble.

"The old pokeball factory?..." I heard someone whisper, but was quickly broken when some the rebel contingent shoved us aside, with some of the stairs actually collapsing back to the ground below.

At least a few soldiers were there to open the door, with two of them opening the gate towards the factory, as chatter stopped and complete silence hung over, the moans of the gate being the only thing we can hear alongside the perpetually cold, and haunting wind. The metal door then opened, with the soldiers marching off to the sides with their guns pointed, as some walked into the darkness. After a moment, all of us were then set off into the pokeball factory, its insides draped in a choking blanket of darkness that the rebels seemed to become lost from existence the moment they walked in.

It was a slow, lurching march to the inside, but there was a menace as even the crowd seemed to become lost, and each step I took towards it filled me with an uncomfortable dread. There was no choice for me but to just move forward, but my heart began to constrict, breathing began to hitch as I went ever so closer to the factory's interior. I took one step in, my eyes beginning to dilate and try to overcompensate for the sudden lack of sight, though the footsteps of many I could still hear. I tried walking, but I could hear grunts of pain abound as I walked a few steps, seeming to step on flesh or footwear.

The door behind us closed, a sudden bang that caused desperate yelps from the group around. Pleads for it to open, curses thrown at the soldiers immediately silenced by gunfire in the darkness. I was breathless as it all happened, as I was forced down by a hand I couldn't see, my chest constricting further as I could barely breathe, my screams reduced to helpless breaths as I found it difficult to maintain consciousness.

I could hear the switching of lights as I looked to see one directly into it, a completely white ray of light clouding my vision, which darkened to reveal an illuminated pokeball factory, devoid of any conveyor belts or the familiar pokeball designs. They were replaced with flags, crude flags interlaced with professionally made ones. Paintings of pokeballs crumpled on the ground as humans and pokemon stood side by side proliferated the factory we were in, as scriptures of things such as 'Destroy the League!' were scrawled throughout in block-like font.

A brief anthem played, dominated by horns as I could see a rebel contingent greater than I had ever saw it, standing right in front of us staring at the end of the other side of this factory. The soldiers that forced us here were still present, guarding the very front of the now smaller group, which had only dominated the areas near the entrance. Yet, rebels upon rebels were present, outnumbering the innocents to such a degree.

A screen situated at the other side of the room made its slow descent as the lights dimmed once more, with the anthem of horns becoming ever louder as the rebels went into a salute. Legs spread apart slightly, a fist over their left chest similar to the one I saw back when we were in Lumiose... It was a peculiar thing to see that moment played in a battlefield, yet in a crowd where they did it together in such a uniform fashion, demonstrating a coordination so unparalleled. One could forgot that they were waging a war, a revolution over the league it seems. Truthfully, I did not know what they were after, and I doubt anyone from the survivors around me knows.

A video feed seemed to play, as a figure with black hair and pale skin appeared on the screen, male with a familiar looking red hat and donning a dark blue military uniform. His face was smooth, yet his eyes were hardened. There were no laugh lines or creases, just a permanent expression of apathy that accentuated his threatening aura even behind a video camera. There was no time for me to wonder why this was happening, or how we were forced into this... His oration started, a rapt silence aside from his pre-recorded voice smothering the room and clawing us into his control.

"_Welcome. To any of you watching, you may know me as the figurehead of a war we are about to brew in your region, yet just like you, I am a revolutionary. To my friends, may our region prosper to a new harmony beyond human barbarism. To those about to be initiated, you will learn why we fight. Why I cannot force you to accept our values, I hope I have given you an image of the reality we have lived in since the days of our conception. If you join, I welcome you to our ranks as a revolutionary a new blood in times of turmoil and burgeoning oppression. If you become the enemy, may one of us bring you to death's door. In fact, to our enemies, to those who support the government and the league, you are worse than any 'team' that currently exists on this planet. You support the enslavement of sentient creatures for your own personal enjoyment. You are not just scum, you represent true evil, but to you, we're just silly rebels._

"_But to call us merely rebels, would be a disservice. Are we soldiers? Perhaps. People with a mission, fighting for a common cause, a better term. Most certainly, we are revolutionaries!_

"_This is the Kalosian Revolution! For so long, we have accepted that our government would be controlled by the whimsy of a corrupt Pokemon league. A league that allows impressionable 10 year old children to venture out into a cruel, unforgiving world. A league that has legalized the slavery of sentient creatures that feel more than just the desire to fight barbaric battles. This is a league that condones the oppression of those who have a conscience! They infringe on the rights of Pokemon! They infringe on our rights to protest about a system that is broken! Go out to a center in a typical region and you will find that the center is overworked. Trainers are forced and even encouraged to just not heal their pokemon entirely and spend on overpriced healing items in a pathetic attempt to try and heal their injuries!_

"_Why do we let such barbarism continue on happening? Why do we let ourselves be entertained by humanity pitting these beautiful creatures against each other, and why have we conditioned them to become glorified blood knights in the name of human glory!? Do you see why nature is no more, why we have pillaged to create these wasteful arenas in order for us to forcefully harness the powers of these Pokemon for our own gladiatorial enjoyment! It is because of us that we have let this happen, and now we'll take history by its reigns and shift it to where it should be sailing. To the path of righteousness and harmony! No more of these wicked battles! No more having to watch these Pokemon suffer because of foolish children thinking this is a viable path for them! Destroy the Pokemon league! Destroy the government that supports the enslavement of sentient creatures! Destroy the government that oppresses those who even dare question the system we are in! They can take us down, silence us, but the Kalosian Revolution will never die!_

"_We are the Kalosian Liberation Force, and this is only the beginning! This revolution is not only about me, but also about you! The soldiers fighting on the front lines, the intelligence officers working day to night identifying future attacks on our cities, humanists the condemn the government for their atrocious war crimes! From the Winter Expulsion for 'research' in Mountain Kalos to the recent bombing of Snowbelle City, forcefully allowing rockets and manipulating pokemon to utilize flamethrowers and create infernos of destruction! If you knew the true reality of the government and league you live with, why would you support them!? This is only just the beginning of the path of death that the league and the government have supported for so long!_

"_We must fight back, we must resist the silent oppression of those who dare to oppose the league. We must resist the the oppression of pokemon for our own selfish needs! We must fight for a better world where our children are not forced to undertake these dangerous journeys at 10 years old! We must fight for a world where we treat pokemon as true equals! Not as glorified slaves subject to being glorified blood knights that demean our civilization! We, as humanity, must fight for our better selves to save the pokemon from the path of immolation that we have set them on!_

"_Fight for freedom! Fight for liberation! Fight for dignity! We are the Kalosian Liberation Force, and we stand ready to defend the liberties of every pokemon not only in Kalos, but in the world!"_

Rapturous applause stormed the room with no mercy, rumbling the derelict factory into life as soldiers, rebels, whoever the crowd in front of us cheered, raising their fists and guns into the air. Cheers of 'freedom' paraded through the air as it seemed as if I was in an actual riot, feeling the voices of the crowd in front of me rumble in my chest. I could see why being in such a large crowd felt 'electric,' as someone put it back all the way back when I was in college, so close to my current time yet it felt so distant as I was watching a revolution unfurl in front of my eyes.

Surreal was the word I was looking for, as I was unsure of how to approach the current events in front of me. Do I cheer with the rebellion? Do I support the revolution? If I do, why would I? I'm not sure if I believed everything of what the person that spoke on the screen said, in fact I did not even know his own name. He was a rebel, a nameless rebel like everyone else down there, who enacted passion even as he seemed to be a faceless goon. Even though his identity was amplified on screen, he still remained just another rebel.

I had even some of the survivors around me cheer on, moving with the soldiers as they were enraptured by the speech, taken in by the rhetoric and appeal of the rebel on-screen and undergoing a bizarre, almost otherworldly conversion. I could see one of the survivors right now, interlaced with the soldiers as her clothing, a yellow blouse with black pants, stood out as she cheered with the crowd. I couldn't see her face, yet her movements, as uncoordinated and weak compared to the rebel soldiers next to her, displayed her standing in solidarity. I had no doubt that there were more people like her in that crowd, but a chilling feeling ran through my spine, fearing for her and the others that enveloped themselves so easily into the rebellion...

Just as fast as this assembly had been created, the assembly dispersed to the outside. The factory, still gleaming with blinding, industrial light saw its occupancy drop as waves of soldiers, rioters, and rebels exited the building, more than likely crowding the outside. The significance of me was lost, and a few soldiers, namely the ones that led us to this factory in the first place, did not leave, staying close to us. The survivors that threw themselves to the crowd of soldiers during the pre-recorded speech were herded back to us, the ones who are still lost, and if it was even possible, more lost than what we were earlier.

I had also noticed a distinct lack of pokemon running around, with us surrounded with nothing but humans with a speech made by a human, even if the topic was 'freeing' pokemon from our apparently cruel grasp, but there was no time for me to contemplate or even try to complicate the speech when our attentions were caught the soldier I designated as the leader, making her first appearance before the people she held at her mercy ever since we were held hostage in the Pokemon Center.

Behind her was what I assumed to be the squadron she led into the center, with some of the soldiers I recognized. The male with brown hair who killed 2 people in the Center, the one who made the introductory speech as he killed them... Who seemed to be taking charge of the situation until he was held back and seemed to be hidden from view. I recognized him, gun in hand, wearing the rebel uniform that was poorly designed and yet it seemed so efficient. It looked so dirty, his face looked oiled from sweat, his eyes were dead...

At a single command from the woman, guns were pointed at us, threatening to turn us into helpless victims onto the ground. A heightened feeling of tension arose within me as barrels were pointed towards our direction, their guns not merely just simply handguns that one would expect since they were not in combat. Their guns looked sloppily designed, yet effective, which makes it necessary for them to utilize pokemon in sync in combat. Even so, there was no shaking away the spine's weakness in the face of a barrel, ready to shoot a bullet towards our bodies if they desired so.

"This is the Kalosian Revolution. Make a move that disrespects our goals, say anything that slanders our mission, or even dare try to lay a hand on my squadron or on any other rebel that I call my allies, you will be shot dead, understand?" The woman said, her eyes squinting in anger as she, more than anyone squeezed the trigger.

I couldn't tell where she held the gun, but I just knew it was uncomfortably pointing right next to what I was, to the person next to me. In that moment, my mind thought of what would happen if someone decided to instigate an event and mock the rebels. It was self-centered, and likely obvious, but I would probably the second to die if she had shot the person next to me. There was no way to pretend to play dead. It would be a pain-filled death, a bullet potentially casing its way towards my torso, possibly my chest. For a microsecond, there would be great pain, and then emptiness. The sweet void of death where there was no sensation, no obligation... No more having to live out my life as a human with human goals, no more having to deal with inadequacy or boredom, and no more having to deal with a tortured life.

I would be free... Disturbingly enough, the morbid unconscious of my mind did not think it to be a bad outcome if someone were to enrage the soldiers to kill us, the innocents.

Fortunately or unfortunately, nothing happened as the soldiers continually pointed their machines at us, the leader being the only one with the gumption to move her gun around and walk up to us. She looked at the one next to me, who I saw was a 17 year old trainer, male, who was understandably and yet hopelessly scared of the situation, who looked _genuinely_ lost without his pokemon. Even with his clothing, all light blue with some bizarre cross and diagonal design, as well as slightly hardened features denoting that he had been journeying for a while, but this situation, the revolution... He cowered under the gun, under the gaze of a much more toughened soldier showing her dominance.

I was next under her threatening gaze, the barrel of her rifle now right in front of my eyes as the all traces of the background became an unseen blur. My eyes dilated as I could only process the presence of the hollow barrel right in front of me, seeing the black, faded plastic giving way to time and wear, yet still ever so ready to end my life if she so decides. I braved myself, holding my ground and staying just a bit more resolute than the male trainer who I now heard was whimpering. As my bravery developed slightly, the potential doom of death now no longer inciting fear, but now potential apathy and courage, I began to stare directly at the woman. The barrel of the gun dividing her face, accentuating her eyes as my eyes adjusted. The gun had become a mere blur as I locked gazes with her visage. As she gazed directly at me, a neutral stare that was used to ending human lives, a familiar fear overcame me as I entreated my mind not to take a step back in response to her encroaching on me in an extremely close proximity.

There was no explaining how I managed to stood my ground, or how I was able to hold back the sigh of relief as she then tore her gaze off of mine, going off to another person. I remained prostrate, alert, and ready to survive at any means necessary should something happen. The concept of peace had been lost on me in that one moment, and I felt it within me that it would remain this way as I glanced at the soldier as best I could with my eyes, pupils refusing to go further as I was forced to look forward in a stunted military position, holding myself together as my breath began to silently hitch, a sharp pain beginning to find itself in my stomach as I felt my knees begin to give way, quavering and risking collapse if I did not keep my conscious state in check.

The liquid that threatened to build in my throat was swallowed, but I had no choice but to remain standing. Liquid pus that tasted like acid burned my esophagus, as my body entreated me to spit it out, to cleanse my body of fear. A stark reminder of not to do so was heard when I heard the bang of a gunshot, and a soft, sudden drop of a body. No yelps, no screams were heard. The continual silence blended time together as I lost the concept of seconds, minutes, and hours, as the squadron kept their guns trained on us, as I risked a glance at what the woman was doing, the woman who put the gun at my head...

Every single human and pokemon were receiving this treatment. A threat of death was displayed, a gun pointed to a fatal part of the body, either the chest, the head, or the eyes, and was pointed at the body part for a few minutes. Any obvious show of hesitation, whether a twitch of the eye, an audible step back, or an involuntary growl and lashing out lead to a response of a gun shot. Sometimes once, sometimes twice, and sometimes even more than that.

As time went on, I developed a numbing to these gun shots. At first, horrifying, my lungs wheezed silently as I cried out when I heard the first gun shot and that body dropping to the floor, an audible cue that parlayed so many horrifying images to my mind. Even though I did not see the dead bodies, the gun shots rang loud and clear, and became numerous and never-ending. It all blended to a continuous stream of harsh gunfire with no obvious end.

This faux-ceremony ended and the systematic killings seemed to cease as minutes passed with no gunfire. Silence still hung, but the choking smoke of black powder floated around the air and seeped into my body, slowly suffocating those inside, even the soldiers themselves.

The squadron reconvened at the center, standing in front of us as the woman who committed all of these executions pushed the charismatic soldier, the first one I saw when he barged into the pokemon center in Lumiose...

"For every revolution, there are grunts and soldiers who dare to do the work that nobody else has the valor or courage to do so. You all stand alive not because of our mercy, but because of your resolve! There is no such thing as mercy in this, and we see in each one of you, the ability to become a part of the revolution!

"No matter what you work, or what you become in the Kalosian Liberation Force, all of you will be trained in basic arms and weapons training. Don't even _think_ about utilizing the silly pokemon trainer tactics you think are so mighty and effective. This is war, and barbarian competition has no place in it.

"Your pokemon will be corralled away from you and be trained to be in equal footing. Each and every being in this room will undergo basic military training. If you pass the barometers that we expect of a KLF soldier, you will be instated as a private and be put in a squadron like ours. If you do not pass, then your ability will be used elsewhere, either as a worker, weapons maker, or some other role we deem necessary.

"Don't think you can ever escape this revolution. If you try to escape, we will find you. If you evade us, know that you have let a region be subsumed under a cruel government. If you are against this revolution, you are against the dignity of your pokemon and you do not believe that they deserve to be equal to you!

"You have all been playing a part in this revolution, whether you like it or not. Make your choice, fight for freedom or die being a tyrant."


End file.
